


Scary Love

by indulgentcryptid



Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: Adventure, Eventual Smut, Horror, Multi, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:40:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27908383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indulgentcryptid/pseuds/indulgentcryptid
Summary: Jake Park has never been one to shrink when his fear arose, strong and willing to do what it takes to survive. Tested by the crushing nature of everything around him, he never thought that being a puppet to an unknown forces' game could be so goddamn difficult. Not only did it come with the extreme risk of reliving death over and over, day after day, it also came with the severely complicated relationships of those around him. As Jake relives the puppeteers games time and time again, growing increasingly hopeless and depressed, an unusual bond forms between him and a certain masked killer. Someone who he desperately wants to hate, but can't truly bring himself to do so. I guess fear will drive you completely mad, huh?
Relationships: Claudette Morel/Max Thompson Jr. | The Hillbilly, Evan MacMillan | The Trapper/Meg Thomas, Michael Myers/Jake Park
Comments: 21
Kudos: 128





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello!! this is my first time ever publishing one of my works so i hope its not too bad. this is also one of the only stories ive been extremely motivated to flesh out, so i hope it goes on for a while. its a slow burn because i like writing, so get ready for eventual angst and dopey shit. im sorry for any mistakes, this is mostly for fun but i hope it seems somewhat "professional". 
> 
> the story is mostly focused on Jake and his emotions/experience going through the trials. at times it is dark, and other times it is more lighthearted. eventually, Myers will become much more apparent later in the chapters and it will have a devastating effect on Jake because.. angst
> 
> ___________________________________

The eerie silence of the seemingly endless forest was enough to drive anybody mad. Not even the occasional chirps and croaks of crows sounded about, just the slight crunching of leaves and grass caused by Jake as he cautiously walked. Something about the evergrowing fog in front of him called his name like a Siren song. Dangerous, he knew, but so alluring that it seemed like his only option at the moment. An icy chill pricked the back of his neck, so he tighened his old scarf in response.

Eventually, the fog revealed a new, unfirmiliar setting. The temptation to explore rolled away along with any previous sense of danger. Jake couldn't go back, there would be nothing waiting for him. There 𝘸𝘢𝘴 nothing waiting for him. So he ventured on, hoping whatever lay ahead was more forgiving than his past life. His sad, worthless life. All that had been left was a boy who dropped out of a fancy school because he couldn't find a desire. Regardless, he only came out of the fog to discover trees again. Different trees this time, thicker and more aged, with almost black bark. There was a cabin in the distance, an engine or machine to his left, and more forest to his right. He stood still, waiting for any sounds, any movement, any life. But there was nothing.

Walking over the machine, Jake figured it must be broken or damaged in some way. It made no noise and the light above it flickered. Lucky for him, being handsy was at least one thing he was good at, so he tried to piece together some wires to get it started. It whirred every now and then, sparks shooting from the wires and blinding him. His tactics seemed to be working, as each piston started to pump faster and faster. And as if magic took its turn, the machine came to life, bustling with its bulb permanently on. It brightened the area around Jake, so much so that he held an arm up to shield his face and turned away. The machine drummed into the floor, vibrated the dirt and hummed into Jake's ears. He decided to go to the Cabin next, not wanting to get lost in the woods a second time.

As he walked, it was not without interruption. He felt something. A sudden dread, as if he was being watched. Like he was being hunted. He pondered if there were really anyone else here, or if he was just becoming paranoid at the painful silence. He could hear fire crackling from inside the cabin as he neared, and as he slowly creaked the door open, he was disappinted. The cabin seemed lived in, no absence of life, with deer and moose hides adorning the walls. But he didn't even think to speak, for he was scared what might answer back. There was a lit fireplace right in the center around two chairs, and it looked especially homey. Patterened blankets and rugs covered the floor and walls, as well as axes and other tools. Definetly a hunter's shack, but a home regardless. Jake could have smiled sweetly at the sight, but instead, craned his neck to the stairs next to him. They led up to a ledge where you could peer out. Jake wondered why someone would attach such a thing to a cabin, especially since the fog devoured everything around it. Plus, it seemed as if day and night were a part of the past, so you couldn't watch a sunset if you tried. The sky never changed from its dull, grey and white, and something told Jake that nobody ever came home to the abandoned cabin. Loneliness had set in.

As Jake approached the porch-like structure of the building, again he felt the sense of being watched. The hairs on his neck stood as he felt the same sense of dread crawl underneath his skin, into his muscles, making him shiver. He pondered his surroundings again, only to see another unused machine nestled behind a tree outside. Swallowing the spit that gathered in his cheeks, he made his way down the ledge and over to the machine, once again fidgeting with the wires. Not once did the dread go away. Instead, it developed in the back of his mind, making him extremely anxious, causing his heart to pound in his ears. He could see his own breath as he worked, he could hear himself start to lose his bearings. He felt as if time were running out. His hands fidgeted, and he continuously peered over his shoulders but saw nothing. Thankfully the machine blasted to life once again, but this time a large siren sounded across the forest. It bounced off the black bark of the trees, adding to Jake's fear of the unknown. 

Jake turned around, breathing heavily, expecting something to pop out and grab him. But nothing stirred. There wasn't even any wind, just fog, mist. It had aready soaked through Jake's scarf and made his clothes damp, as well as flattening sme of his hair to his face. He tried to calm down, but he couldn't. He knew there was something, something out there that was preying on him, hunting him. But he didn't dare say a word. He didn't even move, paralyzed, his feet like stone.

Then something moved. It reveleaved itself ever so slightly from the trees. Jake's wandering eye caught it immediately, and he stared right back at it. It was white, and very tall. It stayed so still that Jake wasn't even sure if it was actually something or not. But then it put a hand up against the tree and confirmed Jake's suspicions. As far away as it was, Jake could see it perfectly. It was mostly silhouetted, but it was there and it was moving. Before Jake could process it, instinct took over and he turned and ran in the opposite direction.

His feet slammed into the grass, thumping in a fast rhythm as he heaved along. Desperately trying to find a way out. He came across a handful of walls in the distance, so he decided to turn right. Then left. Then right. He looked back for just a moment only to see nothing, then something. A tall, looming figure, simply walking towards him. He let out a small shriek of fear, adrenaline suddenly rushing and pumping through his veins. He turned his head back and continued on, this time feeling his legs begin to burn. 

Suddenly he came across a latch connected to a huge door. Jake almost ran passed it, having to slam his feet into the ground to prevent him from running any further. Quickly, he grabbed the latch and slammed it down, and it clicked. Inside of the metal compartment, zaps and pops sounded, gradually getting louder. Jake clenched his jaws together, grinding his teeth harshly as he waited for the suspicious door to do something other than grind its invisible gears. Then the dread washed over him again.

Jake let go of the latch and turned around, discovering some stone brick walls and a few random lockers. Or were they closets? Whatever it was, it proved useful in the moment, as Jake slowly entered one and closed the door quietly, hidden. Twas even more silent now, as only the sound of Jake's own heartbeat and breath could be heard. His stomach turned, having no idea what to do or what to expect. He didn't even know if he should leave the locker ever, but time didn't even seem to move. It paused rght along with him, like he pressed the pause button in a video game. And then he heard the footsteps. 

His breathing hitched harshly, making his voice crack as he breathed in. He didn't mean to make a sound, so he quickly held his hand up to his mouth, furrowing his brows and breathing through his nose. He could have started sobbing right then and there out of fear alone, tears threatening his eyes. As the steps god louder, he couldn't contain himself. He blinked harshly and there the tears went, trailing from the corners of his eyes into his matted scarf. His chest shook as he breathed in and out, but he kept his eyes closed. Until he opened them and saw the figure looming in front of the locker.

"This is it," he thought. "This is where I never return. This is where I die." The tall figure opened the locker with such force that it caused Jake to scream in fear for a moment. It quickly turned to a sob, as there was no need to hide his fear anymore. He could see the tall figure clearly now. They stood at least 6' tall, with a white mask and a dark blue jumpsuit. Accompanied by a disgustingly bloodied kitchen knife that seemed unusually large. They breathed loudly, and hunched over to look down at Jake, peering back at him with the darkest eyes he'd ever seen. Jake had never felt so scared in his life. His mind had turned blank, not even processing what was happening, not daring to look the figure in its eyes.

Suddenly the figure grabbed Jake by the throat and lifted him. Jake's breathing ceased almost immediately, and he struggling against the strong. rough hand tied to his neck. The figures hand was so big it almost wrapped around his entire throat. He could probably pop Jake's head off like a balloon. Jake grabbed the figures arm with both hands, squeezing it, his body now desperately trying to fight death. The figure turned its head to the side curiously, as if he were judging Jake, like an artist picking out the perfect painting at a gallery. After just a handful of painfully slow seconds, the figure loosened their grip. Jake immediately took a painful inhale, shuddering and choking as the cold, wet air filled his lungs. He whimpered like a dog, his body tired and heaving. The figure dropped him, not far from the ground but far enough to cause Jake to huff with a thud. Then the figure trotted away, pulling the latch down, which caused the mechanical doors to open immediately.

As Jake caught his breath, he looked passed the doors as they opened to reveal a seemingly endless, grassy plain. "A way out," Jake immediately thought. Taking one long, last look at the figure, Jake hopped up and ran through the doors, the "exit gate". He ran and ran and ran, his fear not dwindling for a moment until he came across a distance flame. He never once looked back, but the face of the stranger never once left his mind.


	2. {{ ɴᴇᴡʙɪᴇ }}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o what's this? more characters?!? yes!! also, since there is no real sense of time, im going to state how much time has passed to give you a sense of how long the story has been taking place. hope you enjoy!!! 
> 
> ______________________________

Just ahead of Jake, there was a lit barrel fire with tree stumps laying about it. Along with scattered trees and debris, there were actually people near the fire. The atmosphere was white, almost sandy, and the ground was mostly hard, dry dirt with grass. Jake stopped running and hesitantly walked towards the strangers, and as soon as they noticed him, he stopped dead in his tracks.

"A newbie!" A girl in red braids and a cap called, turning to Jake excitedly. She wore athletic gear and had a backpack with shoes hanging from it. She waved at Jake, who didn't wave back. A newbie? 

A short asian girl with black hair sat on the ground beside her. She wore a black and blue sports jersey, but was otherwise unfirmiliar. Jake stood there, questions beginning to spring up in his mind. Tired of the facade, the capped girl got up and jogged towards him. She spoke rather enthusiastically. "You don't have to be scared anymore, you're with us. You're a survivor."

"A survivor? Where the hell am I?" Jake's voice cracked near the end, making him sound tired and stupid. He seemed to stick right out from these girls, making him feel even more like he shouldn't be there. The girl rolled her blue-grey eyes. "I don't know where we are, but you better get used to it, you'll be doing this a lot. I've been here for, I guess you could say... weeks. And yeah, you're a survivor. You weren't the one killing, were you?"

"No, but I got scared shitless," Jake replied. The capped girl let out a sarcastic "ha-ha" and brought him over to the fire, eventually taking a seat on one of the stumps. Jake sat opposite of her and before he could continue his charade of questions, the capped girl began to introduce herself. "I'm Meg. I used to be a real competitive runner and all that jazz before appearing here. That's Feng, one of the best e-sports players in the world. Kate's still out right now... You are?"

"Oh- I'm Jake, Jake Park," Jake spoke, comforted by the warmness of Meg's greeting. He nodded to Feng, who turned and gave a little smile before resuming whatever she was doing. Meg continued, "Nice to meet you, 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘬. Tell me, how'd you convince the killer to let you go?" Her eyes widened mischievously.

Jake cleared his dry throat awkwardly. "Well, they let me, actually."

Meg perked up. "He... 𝘭𝘦𝘵 you escape?" She leaned in, puzzled. She seemed to feel every single emotion at once before deciding what look to put on her face. Strands of her red hair poke out from her cap, which tickled her nose before she pulled them back. Feng stopped twiddling with whatever she had been twiddling with, letting Jake know she was listening. Jake's fear and curiosity began to start back up as he recalled the events, but he swallowed and continued.

"Yes... 𝘏𝘦- grabbed me and then let me go. He even opened the gate for me."

"Opened! The gate for you!" Meg exclaimed, slapping her hands on her lap as she jolted forward. Jake leaned back in surprise, staring at her with the most confused expression he could muster. Meg chuckled before sitting back down, her eyes brightened with curiosity and jealousy. Jake spoke, "I'm guessing that's not normal..." 

Meg didn't answer for a moment, looking at the ground before peering back at Jake. Her face contorted into worry as she thought more about what he said, and eventually her leg started to bounce with irratic rhythm. 

"Well I'm afraid that's not exactly a great thing. It most likely means you've been chosen as the obsession." Meg responded, her voice slightly shaking as if she was hiding more words. Jake shifted uncomfortably in response, having no idea what this meant.

"Basically, you will always be the target survivor for him. He'll toy with you the entire match, torture you, tease you, whatever he wants to do, really," Meg sighed.

"Why would he just let me go if he wanted to torture me?" Jake said, stumped. He didn't grasp it yet, but then his mind pricked something else. "Wait, who even is 𝘩𝘦?"

"Myers," Feng mysteriously whispered. Meg repeated, "𝘔𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴. He's the silent type. You hardly know he's there unless he strikes you. He's brutal."

"I could feel him watching me."

"Yeah..." Meg scratched her face awkwardly. "A few of us have been picked for obsession as well. Just hope you don't get him in the next trial, or I promise you, you'll be going through one painful fuckin' death. Anyway, lets talk about something else. I hate to be reminded of the hell I have to endure everyday," Meg prompted.

"I guess it's better to just experience this myself, no?" Jake pressed, becoming a little frustrated with the short array of hidden answers. As a newbie, he had a right to know, but nobody really cared about his rights as of now. Everyone was just trying to survive. Meg only responded with, "yeah, it is."

Feng turned around shortly, digging and messing with something behind the stump Meg sat on. She pulled up a spare, dirty sleeping bag and tossed it to Jake, who caught it swiftly.

"We have no sense of time here. Only hours and minutes, maybe. But, when you sleep, you will almost always wake up in a match. Sleep is inevitable, and you'll feel like you need it anyway," Meg stated, pulling out her own bag. It was repaired with colored patches and bandaids, some falling off and some perfectly brand new. She rolled the bag up under her arm and walked away. Meg had definitely survived many rounds before, giving her all the true characteristics of a survivor. The way she still slightly crouched even when standing or walking, the way she always seemed passively alert at all times. She carried herself well, though everyone knew well enough that she was fighting her own personal demons. 

Feng nodded to Jake before setting off in her own direction, both of the girls being swallowed by the distant sandy fog. Jake looked at his bag, brushed it off, and laid it on the ground behind the stump. He sat on top of the dirty fabric, pondering the many questions that continuously plagued his mind. Why was he here? How many times were they to go through these trials? Where were the trials? Who's Myers? Are there other killers too?

As Jake laid down, he realized how tired he had become. His legs ached from the running he did, and though he had lived out in the forest before, a certain chill still clung to his skin. His mind then began to feel like it was being melted into a cold fog, sinking through his brain and eventually his body as he closed his eyes and drifted into "sleep".

~ ᴀ ᴡᴇᴇᴋ ɪɴ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴛʏ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ ~

Unfortunately for Jake, he always seemed to wake up right back where he started, just as Meg had said. In the mist, surrounded by the blackened trees, the eerie silence. The fog already seeped through his hair and his clothes, making him shiver. He'd now be in his 7th or 8th trial. But this time, a girl he'd never seen before wearing a beanie and a painted shirt appeared next to him. She did not speak but turned to him, motioning for him to follow. He asked no questions and followed her through the bushes. She brought him to a machine, and as they worked on it together, it began to pump much faster. But before it could burst into life, she stopped, turned, and quickly crawled behind a stone wall. She didn't motion for Jake to follow but he decided to anyway, leaning against the wall next to her. She held a finger to her mouth, looking at him with wide eyes.

Jake's heartbeat instinctively sped up, filling his ears. He breathed heavily again, this time turning away from the girl and closing his eyes. As if he knew something huge was lumbering just on the other side of the stone. In the darkness of his eyelids, he heard banging, and then a strangled explosion, and eventually his heart beat died down again. Feeling a tug at his wrist, he opened his eyes and saw the girl dragging him slowly back to the machine.

It sparked at first, but eventually popped to life as they worked. The girl unexpectedly sped off somewhere, leaving Jake alone to himself again. He walked slowly, looking around for another machine or something else. He busied himself with a collection of bones and skulls that had candles lit around it, which exploded in his face after a minute. A while later, after 4 more popped machines and after being hooked by The Trapper a couple of times, the ending siren sounded about. Jake found his way to a gate, seeing the beanie girl again and Claudette, a dark skinned girl with a hat who he'd seen in other trials. The door opened quickly and out the 2 girls went, but before Jake left, he turned to see if there was something he missed. Weren't there supposed to be four people in one trial?

As he began to give up this thought, Meg appeared, heaving. She looked healthy, as for she not was limping or bleeding, but there was some indescribable emotion plastered on her face. She arrived at the exit gate, but didn't run through. She stared at Jake, and Jake thought to speak, but didn't. His heartbeat had just picked up again.

The Trapper came through the trees, holding his weapon firmly and stomping towards them. Meg stood still in place, as if she knew he was approaching. Jake yelled instinctively, "Meg, look out!"

Meg dodged and turned to face the Trapper, who slammed his weapon into the ground. He turned towards Jake and huffed, bringing his weapon up again.

"Just go, Park!" Meg replied, not running towards the exit gate, but waiting for Trapper to focus back on her. Jake stood confused, wondering why Meg wouldn't be running out of here like a mouse being chased by a cat. Jake felt a sense of selfishness, wanting to turn and leave her to dust, but decided against it. So Trapper reached out and struck him, causing Jake to scream in pain as he felt his flesh being ripped open. He threw a hand on his damaged arm, blood pouring immediately through his coat and pain seering through his arm. He saw Meg's pleading glance behind blurry eyes and gave in, turning towards the grassy, white plains and running.


	3. {{ ᴀ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ? }}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapters a little shorter but hey. we get to see the man finally!! also, i hope you guys are enjoying the holidays and staying warm. cheers and enjoy!

As Jake was being patched up by Claudette, who used to be studying to become a botanist, Meg appeared about 10 minutes afterwards. She jogged towards the both of them, slightly limping with a hardened expression on her face. She didn't speak, just heaved with her hands on her hips as she finally caught up, her legs burning. Claudette perked her head up immediately towards Meg, momentarily pausing from tending to his wound. "Running again?"

"Yes, definitely ran a little 𝘵𝘰𝘰 much, but its fine," Meg answered breathlessly, an annoyed tone in her voice. She eventually pulled out a water bottle from her backpack and drank from it, taking her cap off and slicking her wetted hair back. 

"Why didn't you just run 𝘰𝘶𝘵?" Jake asked, genuinely concerned, holding his wound as if his hands could comfort the pain. Claudette seemed unbothered by Meg's response, but Jake was just confused. Meg only deflected, this time her attitude snappy. Her face became red and she frustratingly shoved the water bottle back into her backpack. Then she angrily stomped across the camp, making her way to a distant tree. Her voice faded as so, but she spoke, "I said, I was running. It's what I do. Plus, I told you to go, and look what happened!"

Jake decided to look away and just wonder what the hell had gotten under Meg's skin. She did indeed run, but why with a killer on her tail? Perhaps for more of a rush? That seemed like a stupid idea at first, but knowing Meg, it didn't actually seem too outrageous. Jake settled with this answer.

Claudette just rolled her eyes, turning back to Jake, whispering. "She'll be fine tomorrow. She just ran a bit too far today, and it usually gets her real tired."

Jake nodded, giving Claudette a soft smile before turning back to stare into the fire. Behind the facade was frustration, his mind once again sparking an endless tunnel of other questions about all sorts of things. But of course, those questions would remain unanswered and there was no point dwelling on them. Jake kept reminding himself that they'd be answered with time, but he hated waiting. Jake's mind never stopped asking, never stopped thinking. His mother always said he thought too much about everything that happened in his life, but Jake always denied this. He was just curious and smart, thats all.

His head perked up at the beanie girl, Nea, who actually didn't talk too much. She watched Meg cross her arms and sit under the distant tree. Meg looked like she began to... cry?

Jake watched Nea's face wash over with sympathy, and Jake pondered going up and asking Meg what truly went wrong in the trial. Before he could, Nea got up and jogged over to Meg instead, leaving Jake to spectate. Though he couldn't hear what they were discussing, he peered at them, trying to read their gestures. Claudette noticed and chimed in, popping up in front of Jake as to tell him off from eavesdropping. She spoke calmly, "What's your name again?"

"It's Jake," Jake said plainly, as he'd introduced himself like this so many times before. Though Claudette and Jake had been in previous trials before, Claudette usually only paid mind to the injured. Jake was good at keeping himself unscathed, admitting himself to be a little selfish at most times, prefering to go alone though not minding the extra help. He looked at his wound, noticing that the seering pain was stopping, and then looked into the distance. 

"You're cute," Claudette suddenly said, looking up at Jake and smiling. Jake immediately blushed in response, turning back to her for a moment before avoiding her gaze. He put a hand through his hair, awkwardly brushing it and slightly stuttering. "T-Thank you."

Claudette smiled again in return, looking back down to pull Jake's sleeve over the bandaged wound. "How's it feel?"

"Already painless."

"I'm glad the Entity controls that much," Claudette responded, closing up her med kit and sitting next to him on the stump with a relaxed expression. Jake pondered her answer for a moment. "Whos the Entity?"

"The one that controls the trials. The one that takes us and puts us into those maps. I don't know why or how, but in all honesty, I try not to think about it. I just know they're extremely ruthless and unforgiving."

She spoke so gently that Jake swore he could fall asleep to it. Like a bird singing in the morning sun, welcoming and full of energy, flying through bright green leaves which were wetted with golden dew drops. Jake missed the sun.

There was a sadness in her voice behind the softness, as if she were lost or lonely. Jake could have guessed as much, seeing as she was a very caring indiviual and perhaps didn't receive the same amount of support back. He then asked, "Do you think of this place... like a new start?"

"A new start? I wouldn't say it's like that," Claudette replied, shaking her head and looking down at her lap. She sighed, playing with her ripped pants and continued, "it's more; we're trapped and we've just got to make it what we can. I try to be rather optimistic about it, to help others feel safer, but there's only so much you can really do."

Jake nodded in response. "Well, I suppose that's better than nothing, right?" He chuckled at the last part, trying to lighten the conversation but failing to do so. Claudette appreciated it but only smiled sweetly in return, "I guess so."

Though it hadn't been there for very long, Jake had no idea how easily his newfound optimism would dwindle. 

~~ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴛʀɪᴀʟ~~

Jake's eyes bolted open as he stood up, fear lingering into his skin rather quickly. Once again, he was surrounded by the firmiliar smokey fog and the black trees, but instantly this felt different. This time, it felt.. fabricated. Like he wasn't supposed to be there at all. There were no generators or buildings or walls, no totems or chests, just forest. Jake's panic soon set in, realizing that he was in some unknown territory, and he got the feeling he was trespassing. Why would the Entity put him here? The gravity of his situation had then smacked him in the face, springing his anxious thoughts into action, his body moving with instinct. He swirled in every direction, trying to find something other than the forest and fog to run through, but the forest seemed endless and engulfed him.

Before he could go any further, a large black tendril exploded out of the ground behind him and grabbed him by the foot. The ground splintered in response, eliciting a deep rumbling noise that sounded as if straight from the depths of hell. Jake grunted as he fell, his blood rushing to his head and clogging his thoughts. Another tendril sprang out from the moistened dirt, and another one, and another. Jake screamed out of fear, kicking and prying the cracking tendril attached to his leg with as much strength as he could muster. 

He blinked and there he suddenly was, up and running as fast as he could through the sickly, dark forest. He dodged the trees, trying not to collapse from burning lungs and tired legs. His heartbeat began to ring out in his ears, blocking out the sound of a guttural growl behind him, but he paid no mind to it. When he looked back for a moment, he could see the tendrils had formed into some sort of hand with huge spiked ends protruding from almost all sides. Jake yelped in horror, not being able to make sense of it, then grunted as he ran into a thick, hard tree.

He fell down, feeling like his entire body just got hit with a train. His eyesight blackened before clearing, stars blinking in and out. His legs gave in, shaking and pulsing, and fear quickly began to fill his bloodstream again. He looked up at the tall looming mass in front of him, and to his surprise, it wasn't a tree. It was Myers. It felt like so long since he had seen the killer. The only killer who had let him escape so many trials ago. 

Letting out a strained whimper, Jake backed up slowly. Adrenaline was injected into his heart and spread through to his limbs, making his blood run hot. He peeked his head behind him, only to see the tendrils nearing and waving through the fog. He could see the blood rushing through them, blackening and hardening into more spiked tendrils like an evergrowing weed. He turned back around, seeing Myers lean over him, heaving as if out of breath, like Jake. As if they had both just ran 5 miles as fast as they could. As if they were both running from the same threat who so conveniently trapped them here together. 

Myers just stood there, leaning over slightly as his shoulders hunched up and down. He seemed just as surprised to find Jake here, sitting on the ground before him. Thanks to his adrenaline, Jake managed to find the strength to stand up, staring at Myers. He half expected Myers to strangle him again, but he challenged Myers instead, looking straight into the mask. This has been the only time Jake could actually see through the dark holes.

Myers' right eye was a milky blue-white color, scarred and seemingy blind. His left eye though, was unscathed. It was a gloomy dark blue, and showed absolutely no emotion at all. Jake was trying to pick something out, anything, but Myers just kept his dead stare fixed on him. He seemed like a husk of a man, No emotion. Nothing. Or maybe there was actually something flickering behind the dark shadow of the mask.

Before Jake could have the time to look closer, or run, or do anything other than stand there, the gutteral cry of the creature that chased him here sounded again. Jake had no where to go, cringing at the thought of being crushed alive by whatever was chasing him. The roars that boomed in his ears became louder and louder and Jake screamed in fear, bringing his hands to cover his ears. 

Myers slowly looked behind Jake, towards the creature that was irratically crawling towards them like a deranged spider. He looked tensed, ready to accept whatever was about to happen to them, but Jake was too scared to move. He closed his eyes and collapsed, eventually feeling himself become developed in a black, thick fog, returning him to where he was guessed he was originally supposed to be: in the Red Forest, the first map he'd ever competed in.


	4. {{ ᴏʙsᴇssɪᴏɴ }}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if everything that happens this chapter is a bit sudden, i promise it takes a little while for jake to warm up. i had a hard time trying to introduce the curiosity jake would need to feel in order to continue his connection to myers, so i hope i did it well. ive already got lots planned behind closed doors and im excited for yall to see :) enjoy

Jake cleared his eyes from the fog, sweat clinging to his forehead as he looked into the depths of the Red Forest. A weird noise rang out in his head as he peered through. It was a high warning sound, like a wolf howling, and it ended shortly. He looked around, trying to spot a source, but something on his chest caught his eye.

An unknown symbol had stained his dark green jacket. It shone very bright at first, causing Jake to squint, but then it died down and left a mark. It looked like a pair spider legs, twitching at first before becoming still. Jake pondered it, wondering if it meant anything. He had done about 8 trials now, say for the weird encounter he had last time, but he never once saw this mark appear. Jake touched it, but it wasn't anything physcial he could remove. It sunk into the fabric of his jacket as if it was nothing, but never fading away completely. 

Doing his daily routine of messing with wires, pulling levers, pointing and picking up random objects, not once did his heartbeat ever race. His hair would stand up, he would 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 feel a sense of dread, but nothing ever confronted him. He could hear his teammates fall to the floor, scream in pain as their flesh ripped apart from being plunged into the hook, but not once did he ever see the killer. 

Jake came across Meg for the first time this trial, who choked and whined against the hook she was pinned to. Jake carefully took her down, led her behind a stone wall, and began to patch up her wounds. Magic took its turn again and fixed her right back up as usual, and she eventually stopped sniffling.

"Hi," Jake spoke in a friendly tone, trying to ignore the grim atmosphere of the firmiliar forest. Meg turned to him, her eyes widening. She coughed as her blood soaked into the bandages and then thinned into nothing. She stared at the mark on the fabric of Jake's coat, her lip shivering.

"It's a surprise you've been fine the entire time," Meg spoke in a half fearful, half concerned voice. 

"I haven't seen the killer at all," Jake replied, keeping his friendly tone. But he dropped the act after Meg spoke again.

"The symbol. You are the obsession, Jake. You're supposed to be the target."

Jake's blood instantly froze and his face turned pale. The 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯. That meant he would see... 𝘩𝘪𝘮 again, didn't it? But where was he?

"Well, why hasn't he hit me?" 

"He's been watching you. He's playing with his food, Jake. Myers has saved the best for last."

Jake almost dropped dead from anticipation alone, a shiver running down his spine as Meg practically whispered the last sentence. His heart began to race and his head felt dizzy, spinning with the countless ideas of death. Meg could tell how scared Jake was and grabbed his hands, desperately trying to pull him out from his own paranoia but failing. 

"I'm sorry," Meg said, not truly knowing what to say to comfort Jake from the inevitable. She hesitated, wanting to say more, but no words could distract him from himself. She eventualltly just turned and sprinted away.

Jake couldn't comprehend it. The best for last? Why would 𝘩𝘦 be the best? Why was he the obsession? As far as he knew, not everybody had been chosen for the obsession, so there must be something unusual about him. The fact that he hadn't been hit at all, hadn't seen Myers this entire trial, made his blood swell with fear. His adrenaline then kicked in, causing him to turn and bolt in the opposite direction of Meg.

Jake ran. He didn't really know where to go, as there was nothing over the tall stone brick walls, just an endless black abyss that promised a lonely death. But he ran across the map, wondering if he could use something to his advantage to help him. There were perfectly placed pallets around some corners, as well as little windows in the wall, but Jake didn't think that would help against 𝘔𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴. The killer stalked his prey, backed them into a corner, and then attacked.

The paralyzing fear set in as soon as he heard the dark boom of the sky opening up to reveal the horrific tendrils. They came down and snatched their victim in the distance, then floated and disappeared away into the dark sky. Jake immediately knew that he was the last survivor, the mark on his coat glowing brightly in response to his surroundings. The smoke in the sky materialize into ash and rained down slowly as Jake was unable to decide his next move. He just stood like a deer caught in the headlights, heart starting to pound faster and faster into his eardrums.

Out from the trees came Myers, expected and unexpected, the firmiliar white mask standing out from the trees. Jake stared at him as he approached, feeling so incredibly small under Myers' looming height as the distance closed between them. Myers stopped a few feet in front of Jake, as if waiting expectantly for Jake to run. Jake began to feel slightly determined, his mind urging him to run, fight, and survive with everything he had left as a survivor would. But there he sat, in a trance, doing nothing. 

The conflicting thoughts of running or staying put battled against each other inside his mind. His stubbornness wouldn't let him give up so easily, yet he felt he couldn't outsmart someone like Myers. Myers didn't move, and neither did Jake. They just stood there together in painful silence as Jake's heart pounded in his chest. You could see his breath as he hyperventilated, quickly appearing before fading away. Opposite of Myers', who's breath was calm and collected and hidden.

Jake realized he was in a slight crouch, caused by the survival instincts in him, so he swallowed and stood up. His legs hissed at him, aching with every little adjustment from being in the position for so long. Myers then moved in response, taking a few steps forward. He looked like he could attack Jake at any moment, not daring to keep his eyes off the target. They were both so close that Jake almost fell backwards staring up at Myers. Jake's breathing hitched as soon his adrenaline spiked again, causing him to finally make a move as his thoughts finally settled.

Jake thrusted his legs into the floor, pushing himself off the ground with so much force it hurt the soles of his feet all the way through his knees. He could only dodge to the left before Myers caught him, grabbed him swiftly and pulled him up over his shoulder. Jake started yelling, screaming, kicking and flailing like a bird caught in a trap. He was so determined to escape, to 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦, as well as avoid the annoyingly painful feel of a hook ripping through his flesh.

Myers paid no mind. He turned and started off towards the same firmiliar cabin Jake had come across when first arriving in the Red Forest. Myers didn't even swerve or grunt as Jake struggled, only walked. He kicked the door to the cabin open, crouching to fit inside the door frame and stepping into the room. He grabbed Jake and threw him onto one of the patterened chairs harshly. Jake grunted, confusion washing over his face before he took the chance and quickly heaved himself up off the chair. Myers immediately pushed him down again, more force this time. Jake yelped in response, feeling a sharp pain travel through his spine, caused by the chairs wooden skeleton. The wool was too warn to provide any comfort, and it slightly smelled of rotting wood. Jake then coughed, his arms awkwardly resting on the sunken arm rests. He was so confused as to what the hell was going on, and quickly the confusion turned to frustration as he realized he wasn't impaled by a hook.

"What are you doing?" Jake almost yelled, voice cracking in anger, sitting up vigorously from the chair. Jake, now not slouching, could maybe run out the door to his left for an escape, but he did nothing. He didn't even look at the door, afraid to take his eyes off the killer for even a moment. Myers just stood there, a couple feet away, tensing when Jake sat up. Jake continued, eyebrows furrowing in anger. He hesitantly spoke, but decided he was done playing the silent game. "Why are you obsessed with me? Aren't you gonna kill me!?"

Suddenly, Myers jerked forward and connected his hand to Jake's throat, pinning him to the chair. It squeaked as it moved across the wooden floor violently. Myers ever so slowly inched close to Jake's face, breathing loud and fast this time, in response to Jake's attitude.

Jake immediately dropped his frustration and became desperate, eyebrows furrowing inward and his hands finding their way to Myers' wrist to pry him off. He whimpered like a hurt dog, gasping for air, teeth clenched. He now regretted asking the questions in the first place, but being denied death in a place like this became infuriating.

After Jake quickly dropped the act, Myers dropped him against the old chair again. Jake immediately grasped his own neck, trying to sooth the pain and the bruises that began flowering. Myers only took a step back, calming himself down. He waited, but Jake said nothing more.

They both sat and stood there. For what seemed like hours was only minutes, of nothing but staring at each other. Jake was angry and fearful still, his face and eyes certainly showing it, but he did nothing. Myers then turned his stupid head again as if analyzing Jake, just as he'd done when they first met. He held the knife loosely, keeping it pointed downwards. 

Jake moved his arms and started twiddling his fingers together nervously. He challenged Myers, staring back at him, straight into those dark blue eyes. But Jake quickly became bored and surrendered at the blank response. He turned away, now avoiding the gaze with an "𝘶𝘨𝘩". He eventually felt... an odd sense of calmness lingering in the air. His senses were still alert but no longer heightened, becoming at peace with the awkward energy in the room and no longer feeling in danger. He questioned how he could eventually get comfortable in a space like this, but Myers had done nothing threating, other than disapproving of Jake's previous attitude.

"How much longer are we going to stare at each other?" Jake suddenly spoke, irritation and curiosity in his tone. At this point, he didn't care what happened. He wasn't scared anymore, more infacuated with what Myers would do next. Even if he provoked Myers, at least he'd wake up somewhere else. At least he'd be doing something other than sitting there. 

The sound of the fireplace cracking filled the air as if lit by magic. Jake looked passed Myers to observe it, then back at Myers, who finally stopped gazing at him sideways. Jake found it insane that, when Myers' wasn't be a cold blooded killer, he was kind of... intriguing. In a way, Jake's interest had been peaked and he 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘺 yearned to know more. He knew about the the painful killings Myers was rumored to do, but still, something sparked in his mind. Why was Myers being vaguely tolerant of Jake? 

"Do you talk? At all?" Jake asked out of the blue, once again irritated but curious. Myers actually shook his head no. Jake let surprise show on his face and turned away, and then back.

"Why'd you pick me?" 

Myers took a few quick steps towards Jake, bending down and getting unusually close to Jake's face. Jake's body immediately started to sweat, his eyes widening. He felt his face especially heat up, as well as the tips of his ears, embarrassed and scared to be so close. He looked into the other man's eyes and no where else, wondering if he was just about to get stabbed finally. But Myers just stood, staring into Jake's dark brown eyes with a curious expression. Jake's mouth began to hang open as he thought up a response. "What-"

Myers moved in even closer, only inches   
away from Jake's face. Jake thought he may have just died, squeezing his eyes closed before slowly opening them once he realized there was no pain. He felt his entire body explode into heat as he saw Myers' deep eyes stare right into his own, warmth racing down from the back of his neck to his feet. Fear slowly trickled back into his body, paralyzing him again. 

Myers was 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴. 

Jake looked down and then up, questioning why the killer was actually showing emotion right now, despite the rumors and the usual expression. He shivered against Myers, feeling the hot breath through the mask. Jake was scared to even breathe. What the actual 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 was going on? What kind of answer was that? Surely it wasn't just curiosity, right?

Before Jake could ask, there was a sudden crack in the air. Myers stood back and retrieved himself as if he was just caught in the act, the usual emotionless gaze casting back onto his face. Jake's face contorted into confusion as he heard wood splitting behind him, and he instantly remembered the last interaction they had. Adrenaline struck into his heart once again as a long, bloody tendril crawled out from the ground next to him. It also crawled out from behind Myers, who's legs and arms were then snatched to the floor. 

Jake suddenly reached out as a tendril shot across his chest, locking him in place. He squirmed all he could, yelling out, feeling his body become cold. It became 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘥, causing him to become dizzy which made the world seem to slow down. He lowered his hand as he felt his body go numb, his eyes weakly shutting. Black smoke seeped out from behind him, infecting his mind and bringing him into an unknown dark abyss, where he suddenly felt extremely alone.


	5. {{ sʜʜʜ }}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay, ive been quite busy with family and holidays and will continue to be until January so plz excuse it! this chapter is more of a filler/short, and sorry if its a little rushed, but i wanted to write about claudette so :)) enjoy!

When Jake awoke from the cold with a single, fogged exhale, he opened his eyes to gaze upon the hundreds of corn stalks in front of him. The air was dusty but moist and smelled faintly of an old barn and farm animals, as well as rust and other things. Jake peered around, seeing stacked haybales and of course the occasional hook and generator resting by an already lit barrel. The ground was soft and mushy, and excess hay littered the floor. Jake could feel that this used to be someone's home, the area was definitely lived in, but something tragic happened that had wiped the place clean of innocence. His mind vaguely pricked at the idea.

Not long after completing the generator, he heard the distant revving of a chainsaw. There was only one person he could think of: The Hillbilly, who was awfully tall and disfigured and extremely fast at times. Jake prepared himself to be light on his toes, making his way past an exit gate to some wooden walls, where another generator lay nestled. It was already halfway done, but there was no one working on it. When Jake approached it, it sparked at him and he covered his face, coughing against the sudden smoke. He didn't really think anything of it, continuing to work as he heard the distant chainsaw rev again. 

After almost being seen a few times and unhooking his teammates, there was only one generator left and Jake made his way torwards it. He crept slowly, looking through the corn stalks, though there was so many, you could never tell when something was coming. He turned his attention back to the generator after his heart started to beat, finding Claudette backing up slowly from the whirring machine. She was looking at something or someone who she was obviously wary of, the obsession symbol plastered on her shirt. Jake hesitated to move, feeling his heart beat in ears, but deciding he couldn't let her get hurt. He couldn't bear to watch it, even if it happened a million times unseen to his eyes. 

Jake stood back up and began to speak before being cut off instinctively after seeing The Hillbilly walk over to Claudette, holding his weapon low to the ground. He bent down to match Claudette's height, hostility gone from his face and body, only replaced with mere curiosity and comfort. Jake watched the two of them, utterly confused as he saw them communicate. Claudette spoke words unaudible to Jake's ears, but The Hillbilly reacted, blinking and moving his head and hands as if he understood. He mostly grunted in response, trying his best to form words with his deformed mouth. Jake watched them for minutes, eventually amused by their interactions as if this was a normal thing.

Claudette moved her hands in an array of gestures, pointing to things and speaking. Jake had seen that language before, usually used for deaf people, but figured Claudette was pretty smart to be showing it to The Hillbilly, who couldn't exactly talk. Claudette smiled as she fixed The Hillbilly's fingers to fit the sign she was making, congratulating him and laughing every now and then. Jake would have smiled at the interactions, if it weren't for him accidently making a noise and alerting them.

Claudette's mood immediately changed and her face contorted to fear as she watched The Hillbilly turn vicious, his hand clenching his weapon. Jake stood, frozen in fear at being caught, not knowing if he should start bolting or say something. The Hillbilly wasted no time and raised his weapon, revving it and letting out a roar whilst running. Claudette screamed after him, trying to keep up with him but ultimately being too slow. Jake only turned before tripping, landing on the ground with a hard thud, turning his head back immediately to see The Hillbilly standing over him angrily. Claudette caught up and grabbed one of his arms, pulling it with all her strength. "Not him, Max, please! Don't hurt him, Max!"

Jake watched The Hillbilly lower his weapon as his breathing calmed and his attention focused back on Claudette, who was shaking with fear and breathing harshly. She walked over and helped Jake up, standing between the two men as she tried to calm down. Her voice shook as she spoke quickly. "You cannot tell anyone about this, please. For me and Max's safety."

Jake just nodded immediately as a response, confused as he looked back over to The Hillbilly, who still seemed irritated but focused on Claudette. Claudette gave Jake a reassuring smile before turning around and placing her hand on Hillbilly's wrists, bringing them together and speaking so softly Jake couldn't make out the words. The Hillbilly understood though, and turned, revving his chainsaw back up and running through the corn stalks next to him as if nothing happened. Claudette seemed saddened by the lost company, turning back to Jake with an anxious sigh.

The gears in Jake's mind began to move, coming up with numerous questions and opinions as he assesed the situation. Claudette could tell and quickly took Jake's hand, looking him in the eyes. "I know you have questions, but swear to me that you won't mention this in front of anyone else. I'm not even sure how the Entity is allowing it," Claudette said, a very serious tone in her voice. Jake nodded, answering honestly. "I swear on my mother's grave." 

He didn't know what to say next, staring down at Claudette after agreeing not to let anyone know. It unexpectedly opened a new door for him, making him wonder if the killers were actually all that bad before being placed here. Perhaps they were normal too, just ending up in the wrong hands and being twisted into cruel monsters to play a part in the Entity's game. He couldn't help but wonder why the Entity was doing this, what it wanted, or what it even really was. It was something that plagued his mind trial after trial, subconciously festering inside his brain, though he never got anything close to an answer.

After the exit gates opened and Claudette, Jake, a man named Adam, and Kate made their way through, they arrived at the usual dusty campfire. As he played through the trials, Jake noticed that there were different campfires, depending on the map or other unknown factors. Some camps had only 2 stumps, while others had whole bushes and trees surrounding the area. Usually it was the former, with dead trees in the distance and hard grass poking out of the ground. Jake always wished for the more scenic camp, as it felt more comfortable and hidden. 

Come to think of it, Jake didn't know the last time he'd seen another living creature other than the crows and roaches scattered through some trials, as well as the obvious killers and survivors accompanying them. He began to miss his home more and more, wondering how his makeshift house (or treehouse) was holding up. Perhaps squirrels had already gotten into the cooler, or maybe a storm had created a new hole in the roof. He also missed the taste of freshly cooked rabbit, as he never got hungry in or outside the trials, and food didn't seem to exist here. Just another one of the Entity's tricks to keep them all surviving, fighting, hoping. 

Eventually, Jake's mind trailed back to Claudette and Hillbilly's encounter. They both had obviously met before, and seemed unusually happy in each other's company. It reminded Jake of Myers, and eventually his face turned red. He wasn't sure exactly why he was embarrassed, but he did find comfort in knowing that he wasn't the only one who had "connections" of some sort with a killer. Maybe being friends with a killer was more common than he figured, but no one ever spoke about it, so he guessed that it was wrong in a sense. He felt like he should've acted mad, but he really wasn't. Jake and Myers weren't 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 with each other, no, but they weren't exactly enemies. Jake didn't know any other words to describe it.

After Kate and Adam walked into the distance and fortunately left Claudette and Jake alone, Claudette walked over to Jake immediately and sat down next to him, eager to explain herself and rhe situation. She patted her pants clean as usual, turning to him and huffing softly. "So, about all that..."

"You're friends, right?" Jake started first, wondering if such a thing was really true. Claudette smiled, closing her eyes for a moment as she silently thanked Jake for not blowing up on her. "Yes, me and Max are friends. I've been teaching him how to sign for a little bit, it's very fun to watch him do the signs..."

Claudette trailed off softly, talking about 'Max' as if he was just another person that she'd become friends with. She looked off in the distance as she explained, her mind recalling various events and memories she experienced. Jake's curiosity began to grow, and after she quieted, he asked, "Is anyone else friends with the killers? Is this normal?"

"I don't know, and I'm not going to ask. I don't think it's necessarily right, but I can't help myself. Whatever me and Max have, I like it and I wanna keep it." Claudette said, turning to Jake with a sort of sparkle in her eye. As much as Jake was confused, he understood that there was a connection there that he would never understand, but he could respect it. He couldn't get himself to be angry, to question her morals. After all, she was the most caring person he knew, other than his mother. He knew there were probably deeper reasons to why Claudette would form such a bond with someone like Max.

"I think it's sweet," Jake said, causing Claudette to let out a sigh of relief and a nervous laugh. She then shook her head, realizing how bizzare the situation sounded. "I know it's complicated, y-you're probably upset, but please don't be. I am... trying to release him from the Entity's grasp, and it's ever so slowly working. I can't seem to figure out why I'm doing it, though..."

Jake could guess. Claudette was a caring person, sacrificing herself for others in the blink of an eye with no hesitation during every trial he had her with. Jake admired her in a way, reminding himself that he shouldn't be so selfish when it came to escaping. Jake was like that, feeling the need to escape overcome any other emotion he felt in the trials. Usually he panicked and ran to the gates as soon as he could, never stopping to look around. He silently promised himself he would improve.

Claudette sighed, waving her hand in the air. "Well, that's all I'm going to say. I'm afraid anything else may be detrimental in the long run," she said quickly, dismissing the conversation and getting up. And just like that, she grabbed her medkit and wandered off into the distance, disappearing after a quiet "goodbye". 

The energy in the air was awkward. Jake sat there for a moment more, enjoying the heat of the campfire before turning and setting off to his tent. He climbed inside, moving his items farther into the corner, starting to become more unorganized as he picked them up from previous trials. His tent wasn't too much bigger than himself, with maybe a couple feet on all sides of him, but the excess space was covered in toolboxes, flashlights, and other things.

As his tent became messy, so did his mind. He began to horde things subconsciously, instead of taking the items to the trials. He couldn't find much use for them, other than a medkit, but sometimes it only helped once. Regardless, Jake laid down on his side, using his arm as a rest. Again, he went over the incidents of today, and then the last trial, and all the other ones until he remembered the incident with Myers. 

Jake wondered if there was an opportunity for friendship. Perhaps being friends with the killers wasn't such a bad thing, and that maybe it was possible. But the idea stunned him again, and his stomach turned. Why would he do such a thing as that? He knew what his teammates went through, he knew himself what it was like to be hooked, to feel a soaring pain in your back as you get slashed from behind. He knew all too well what pain tasted like, and that the killers brought it on. But the thought of the Entity twisting the killers into what it wanted them to be seemed like the only reason he could use to excuse his thoughts.

He wouldn't mention the incident with Myers to anyone. He didn't even want to mention it to Claudette, knowing that it wasn't exactly something to bond over, and it wasn't normal. Jake wasn't supposed to be there anyway, he wasn't supposed to see them interacting. So he decided he would leave it alone, take his actions into his own hands and figure out who the Entity truly is.


	6. {{ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ? }}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, been quite busy but I'm back! enjoy some more myers interactions :)) just want to say i really enjoy writing as Jake and everything so i hope yall are enjoying it too. have fun :)

It'd been an awful week, Jake had no problems admitting. He became distracted most trials, but no killer paid mind and went about their usual killing spree business and happily downed Jake to the floor. Jake always hated the pain, especially since he unnecessarily caused it himself, but could not pull his head away from the one reoccuring thought that appeared everytime he had a free moment to think: 𝘔𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴. 

Jake tried to convince himself it was because of the Entity, who may be tricking him into believing Myers was "on the good side". If Myers was in the Entity's grasp, they could both easily be luring Jake and Claudette along, drawing them into a false sense of security. The Entity was good at sneaking things in and twisting people to suit its needs, as Jake had no idea who they really were, and it wasn't a too far fetched idea. But that still didn't explain why Myers looked at him like 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵. So intensely that it was anything beyond the Entity's demands. It made the killer stick out of the crowd like a sore thumb, even amongst The Hillbilly, who he knew was also shackled against his will. None of it made any sense to Jake, and he tried and tried to come up with an explanation other than the killers simply chosing to be nice. They surely wouldn't do something like that.

At the end of his current trial, Jake limped out of the gate towards the campfire with an old wound on his leg, wishing Claudette was in his group so she could tenderly patch him up again. The other survivors he knew didn't do such a great job, awkwardly applying things and usually making the quick healing process more painful then it had to be. With an exception, Kate, a gentle musician who was always wishing she could have her guitar back to play tunes for the group. Jake wished it so, not really missing the sound of music, but more so entertainment. 

Jake fell onto a stump around the campfire with a grunt. Thankfully, a boy named Quentin roughly patched him up after exchanging a few tired words. Jake waited for the wound to work its magic and heal up, and then jogged into the distant plane until he came across his tent. Quickly he unzipped it and jumped inside, closing it and fixing himself into his usual sleeping position.

Jake laid with his eyes closed, once again wishing to return to a trial where he could confront Myers. Maybe the Red forest again, where he was most firmiliar. He'd been going through trials and trials, but not once waking up and hearing the obsession sound ring out. He hadn't realized how weird it was to be 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 to see a killer, but he reassured himself it was for the sake of curiosity. Not only would he keep quiet about Myers to Claudette, he didn't think to tell Meg either, not wanting her to freak out or berate him about how "lucky" he was. Perhaps he was lucky in this situation, but he definitely didn't feel like telling the whole world. It was something he would deal with privately, like Claudette said, though Jake was entirely sure curiosity wasn't his only motivating factor.

To his surprise, Jake woke up in a completely new map. Somewhere he'd never been before, where houses lay in a row of 3 or 4 on two sides and a police car blocking the middle of the road. Jake turned, walking towards one of the houses with a pumpkin settled on its railing. The houses were mostly bare, say for the few lockers, totems, generators, or roaches, but this house was different. Again, it instantly felt more homey to Jake, like it had been ripped right out of the Earth and placed here by the Entity. But still, it felt somehow fabricated. There was an old sofa, a faded kitchen, and sad, empty picture frames on the wall, like all the memories had been stripped away. Something definitely happened here, but as usual, the Entity had twisted the house into nothing but an empty wooden skeleton.

Jake almost screamed because of the sudden sound of the obsession symbol ringing out, the firmiliar spider legs twitching on his coat before settling. He reeled back, then caught his breath and continued to traverse throughout the house, emotions starting to rev up in his brain. He tried to ignore it for now, focusing on exploring the house and doing a generator. The stairs creaked as he walked up them, and he watched the old 70s wallpaper crack and peel. He entered a doorless closet where a generator lay, tightly squished between the two walls. There was an empty window behind him, most likely for quick escapes and such. 

As he worked and waited, he heard the distant scream of a firmiliar survivor, Nea, and moved away from the generator to peer over the window. Nea lay hooked, gasping for air as she held the hook that pierced her shoulder, but of course there was no killer in sight. After a few seconds passed and no one came, Jake hopped out and down off the house, landing with a thud and a slight pain in his legs. He ran over, unhooking Nea when another generator popped, and ran back into the house to continue on his own. Nea, as usual, went in her own direction, limping away behind a distant house.

As Jake fixed the generator and it sprang to life, he almost instantly felt something prick his spine and travel up to his neck. 𝘋𝘦𝘫𝘢 𝘷𝘶. The firmiliar feeling of dread, the sense of being watched. Jake now had an onset of mixed feelings, not knowing whether to thank the Entity for finally granting his wishes, or to be scared of the haunting figure that was stalking him right now. Of course, when Jake wasn't standing right in front of Myers, he was more curious than scared. But the thought of being snatched by the Entity and feeling the hot pain run from his stomach through his entire body, made him just a little fearful. 

Regardless, he slowly sneaked through the window behind him again and jumped down, going around to the backyard of the house where a big, perfectly placed hook lay swinging in the wind. Jake took a step towards it before suddenly being yanked back, letting out a scream of surprise. 

The grip was way too strong to be anyone other than Myers, who heaved Jake up on his shoulder. Jake immediately protested as usual, throwing his legs and arms about, fear racing through his heart as he prepared to be placed on the hook. He wasn't particularly scared of dying, no, but he was somewhat scared of what shit Myers could pull next. Myers was extremely unpredictable for Jake, as evidenced by their past interactions. Maybe Jake 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 actually die this time. Still, he did not like being picked up and carried around like a corpse. It made him feel weak and small, which was unfortunately true when compared to someone like Myers.

Myers walked his usual fast pace and soon, both men were tied right in the alley of two old houses. Myers dropped Jake against the wall roughly, earning an agitated grunt from him. Jake leaned against the old siding, breathing heavily as he cleared his confused head. As usual, he wasn't being sacrificed. 

Jake didn't look up now, paralyzed by a weird fear that he'd never experienced before. He just stared straight ahead at Myers' chest, and then moved his eyes towards the ground, somewhat embarrassed. But Myers wanted his attention, so he threw a hand around Jake's neck, causing Jake to instantly look up at him.

Jake yelped in response, the hand not tight enough to choke him but enough to steal his breath, pinning him to the wall. Still, he avoided Myers eyes, looking anywhere else but his face. Jake was obviously scared, but so much more intrigued that he didn't fight back. Myers only tenderly rested his hand on Jake's neck, doing nothing more but staring, just keeping him in place. Jake still refused to look him in the eye, the odd embarrassment washing over his face like a huge wave. He just realized there were weird butterflies flying around in his stomach, urging him not to move.

Unfortunately, Myers desperately wanted Jake to look at him, so he tightened his grip and moved closer, slowly raising his knife to Jake's stomach as a warning. Jake ceased, choking now, his face contorting to panic as he saw the knife glint in front of him. Myers taunted him, holding it so dangerously close to Jake's abdomen that Jake could feel it press everytime he staggered a breath. Jake finally looked up, staring Myers straight in the eyes with immense curiosity. Right into those gloomy, dark blue eyes that he could never forget, the ones that looked at him so intensely. They revealed another emotion, and not curiosity this time, but... 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦? 

Jake didn't know what to think, and he wasn't sure he believed what he saw. He never knew someone who looked at him like the way Myers did, so he didn't know how to act. So focused, so full, yet still indescribable, and it made his stomach turn, sparking many questions in his mind before he realized how lightheaded he had become. Did he really... desire Jake? In what way?

Jake slowly brought his hands up to Myers', half-heartedly trying to pry them away to see what might happen. The inside of Myers hands were soft, especially his palms, but tough everywhere else. He was restraining an inhumane amount of power, his tendons tightening under his skin every now and then. His fingers curled delicately around Jake's flesh, as if he wasn't purposely trying to hurt him but was willingly to at any moment. Jake began to feel more dizzy as his body fought for oxygen, causing him to cough as he continued to look at Myers intensely. His own eyes began to fuzz as he tried to read Myers eyes again, but he couldn't. 

Another gen popped and Myers' head turned. He let go of Jake almost immediately and turned away, walking towards the rumbling brightness in the distance. The fimiliar end game siren rang out and pierced Jake's ears painfully as he hadn't realized how much time had passed. He fell to the ground lightly gasping, holding his neck while trying to breathe normally again and process what just happened. He saw Myers' looming figure fade in the distance, and after standing up and regaining his balance, Jake stumbled and headed in the opposite direction, stomach nauseous with only one goal and thought in mind.

Jake couldn't wash away that certain feeling that nestled deep in his stomach. The way Myers had previously gazed at him, and how it made him feel. The way he always seemed to look 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 Jake's eyes, looking at something deeper inside. It made Jake's stomach turn with an indescribable emotion, those butterflies revving back up as he pondered the feeling. Myers eyes always told Jake everything he needed to know, and he couldn't understand why he was so flushed about it.

As the exit gates opened, Jake watched the others run out and began to slowly follow, but then stopped. He turned around, waiting for Myers to appear, to which he did. Killers always made sure to pick off any bottom feeders or nuisances.

Myers moved towards Jake slowly, inching along hesitantly but ultimately doing nothing. Jake stumbled as the ground shook, a loud dinging sound ringing out and causing the floor to quake. He could hear the ringing of the timer going down, the Endgame Collapse activating, so he backed up slowly before turning around and running. He looked back to see Myers get trapped in the tendrils again, way earlier than usual, and Jake wanted to stop, but something compelled him to continue running. Like the Entity was pushing him forward by force, just as it had been when he first got lost in the fog. He didn't want to leave, but he couldn't turn back now. There was nothing but the ground burning up and the horrific tendrils consuming the place, and eventually it faded into the grey air as Jake continued forward.

Jake arrived at the camp in a panic, now suddenly worried. The campfire was dark, only the lit barrel lighting the place up. The air was blackish and foggy, and was much colder than the usual dusty air. Jake began to feel a sense of loneliness creep up his spine, despite being in this particular camp once or twice before and other survivors occupying the space. It was sudden and unfirmiliar, and he began to feel it overwhelm him.

Before he could explain to the others, Jake turned and ran into the grey fog, his breathing and pulse starting to pick up. He continued to jog, then started bolting, running into the nothingness. As usual, nothingness was what he continued to come across, the fog revealing the hard ground before covering it back up right behind him. He almost felt like he was being teleported to the same place over and over, like he was stuck on a treadmill. His breathing was fast, and his legs began to shake and grow tired as he slammed them into the ground for several minutes. He felt like he was being consumed, or punished, or something horrible was happening. Maybe not happening to him, but someone, something, or it was coming. It fogged his brain and consumed his entire body, making him feel cold, weak, lost as he tried to run from his feelings.

Jake's legs automatically collapsed and sent him tumbling to the floor. He grunted harshly, eyes closing before opening back up a few seconds later.

Jake didn't get up, didn't try to move, just laid with his head in the dirt. He heaved, staring into the dark abyss, feeling the paralyzing fear overtake his previous adrenaline. And then the firmiliar crackling crept into his ears.

Jake felt the ground shake, feeling it split open just in front of him. He did nothing, feeling so cold and frozen that nothing popped up in his mind. No questions, no thoughts, only the feeling of fear. He watched as black tendrils popped out of the fog, multiple shooting out and stabbing the ground. They crawled towards Jake like a spider, crackling and dripping with a thick, dark red liquid. 

Jake only found the strength to lift his head slightly off the ground. The tendrils never slowed but got closer, howling and stabbing the ground as it split. Jake couldn't move, couldn't even feel the rest of his body except for his head. And as the tendrils neared, so did his death. One tendril shot out of the ground, closely looming over Jake with spikes protruding from its sides, the bloody trails oozing all over it. Jake let out a sharp breath, peering up at the tendril, until it harshly stabbed into him, making everything go dark.


	7. {{ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴠᴇʀʏ }}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i missed meg so enjoy <3

Jake screamed as he woke, shooting straight up inside his tent. He started shaking immediately, the cold chill stinging his skin and lingering. He looked around, confused at his surroundings until he recognized them and crawled out of his tent like he was deprived of oxygen. He was back at the usual sandy campfire, the air slowly blowing sand around and the ground being dry and hard. Jake sat there for a while, regaining his composure and reliving what just happened inside his mind. When he fell, he guessed he must have hit his head so hard he passed out, opening him up to the realm of dreaming, unless the Entity really did kill him. The Entity took that chance to scare Jake away, into the unknown so he wouldn't dare try to discover who the Entity was. Jake was stubborn and wouldn't give up so easily, but he admitted he was intimidated, not knowing how far the Entity could go. Regardless, he would figure out how to get out of there sooner or later, whether that meant sacrifice or something more.

Jake put on a determined facade and tried to flush the other feelings away, not losing hope. Not losing hope. The only thing keeping him going now was some sort of hope, and he wouldn't dare let it dwindle. Maybe his optimism was low, maybe even nonexistent, but he wasn't going to be pessimistic.

Jake stood up and walked into the distance, seeing the barrel fire light up the dirty fog. He surprisingly found Meg standing there, holding her head as if she were thinking really hard. She turned to see Jake and immediately gasped, running over.

Meg hugged Jake tightly, reminding him of how long it had been since they'd seen each other. Jake laughed quietly, hugging her back and realizing how much he missed her. It felt like months, and seeing her again lifted his spirits almost instantly. She looked just a little different now, with her sports cap gone and her pants now a different color and size. They were splattered with blood that already seeped into the cloth.

Meg began unloading with questions, her face contorting to many different emotions as she spoke. Jake let her ask, answering as many things as he could before she moved on. Things about his survival rate, his other friends, and how much he had improved. Eventually, when she quieted down, Jake took his turn.

"Have you been... alright, since last time?" Jake asked concerned, reminding Meg of her unfortunate incident under the tree. It was the only time Jake had ever seen Meg so vulnerable, and he had never figured out what happened. He never wanted to budge into her business, or make things worse, but he was horrible with keeping his mouth shut. He missed her adventurous little attitude, the person who always took a hit for him, who always distracted the killer so the team could win. He missed her presence in general.

He didn't think to ask her about Myers, though the thought of the killer popped up in the back of his head. He wanted no suspicion, and he definitely didn't want her to worry about him. There was no need to, as Jake felt almost completely safe in Myers' presence since he never really attacked. Maybe he almost did, but Jake had been too distracted to even notice or care. He could only remember the indescribable emotion that had been plastered in the killers eyes, and how the only emotion he could guess was "desire". It was strange, and it just made him more confused as he continued to deny the one answer that festered deep in his mind. He couldn't be sure until he knew more.

Meg had hesitated for a while, picking at her fingernails and looking away instead of answering. Jake guessed she didn't want to spill, so he decided not to press this time. "You don't have to tell me what happened, I just want to know if you're okay now."

"Yeah, I'm okay," Meg replied, a now bored tone in her voice. She continued, clearing her throat, "I was overwhelmed. I just realized what I had gotten myself into, and it scared me... But, I'm much better now!"

Meg's face lit up at the end, her mood changing just as fast as before. Jake decided to stop killing the atmosphere and awkwardly laughed, looking into the fire before turning back to Meg, deciding not to question her answer and thinking of something else. "Hey, how come I woke up in a camp instead of a trial?"

"I don't know. It happens sometimes," Meg said, shrugging her shoulders as she smiled. "Maybe we actually died and we just can't remember. That only happens rarely, though. Anyway, since we're both here, wanna race me?"

Meg got down into her runner position, feet and hands on the ground. Jake backed up and laughed, but paranoia prevented him from taking the offer as he thought about her answer. So they 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 die, but just reappear like nothing? "No, thanks."

"Oh c'mon, I know you've got adrenaline stored in those legs," Meg said, looking up at Jake with a challenging glance and smacking his pants playfully. Jake shook his head, still refusing, giving her a nervous smile that faded quickly. "I don't know what's in the fog, beyond the tent. What if the Entity is waiting to grab us?"

"The Entity will just push us back by force as usual. We're only running," Meg stated, dismissive of Jake's concern. Jake remembered that Meg had probably tried this before, making him a little less paranoid, but still he completely avoided, going to stand near the fire. The chill that had clung to his skin started to melt away as soon as he neared the barrel.

Meg scoffed. "You're so boring. I'll run there and back and prove it, then you 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 to race me!" And with that, she took off so fast that Jake only saw a blur run by. She disappeared into the fog and Jake became anxious at first and hoped to god that she knew what she was doing. Usually he would be comforted by the silence, the absence of another person, but he didn't like it so much now. He had begun to hate it.

A few minutes later Meg appeared again, sweat glistening from her exposed skin. She heaved, slowing from her sprint to walk over to Jake. She then rested her hands on her knees, coughing as the dry air filled her lungs. Jake scoffed, smiling at her while anxiety rippled under his skin. "Okay, okay, I believe you."

"You should, I know everything," Meg stated proudly, playfully smiling again and standing up as she took her water bottle out. She drank from it, swished it in her mouth, and then spit it into the fire. Jake heard it sizzle and sarcastic disgust washed over his face. He laughed as he spoke. "Why'd you spit it out?"

"The sand is in my mouth, idiot," Meg replied, taking an actual sip now and swallowing, gritting her teeth as she felt the sand particles between them. "Now race me!"

"Fine, fine. Where do I start?" Jake watched Meg get down on the ground into the runners position, and he followed her position. She fixed his fingers, then legs, and turned back, staring straight ahead. "Now, focus on running to what's directly in front of you. No where else, just forward. Have no other goal in mind."

Jake nodded, listening to Meg count down. As soon as she hit 1, they both sped off, Meg having the head start. They both ran next to eachother, Jake eventually catching up to Meg, or maybe she just slowed down for him. He tried to stare straight ahead but kept glancing around, anxiety heightening as he ran through the endless, sandy fog. He paid no mind to his legs or his breathing, just running and keeping light on his toes as he subconsciously waited for the tendrils to pop out.

But they never came, and Meg grabbed Jake's arm to slow him down with her. She laughed as they both came to a halt, and Jake could now feel the invisible force pushing him back towards the campfire. They both turned back and walked now, Meg taking more swigs of her drink and offering it to Jake, who took it gladly.

They continued to converse some more as they approached the fire, laughing and joking around, causing Jake to momentarily forget his anxiety. They chatted for roughly an hour or so before Meg accidently burned herself toying with the fire. 

"Shit, you alright?" Jake said, walking over to Meg with concern in his voice. He took her hand and saw the nasty, bright red mark that stained some of her hand, and cringed. Meg hissed, swearing under her breath as Jake took her hand. "I have plenty of Medkits at my tent. I'll just fix it then, no biggie," she informed.

"Are you sure? This seems pretty awful," Jake said, not even guessing that you could get hurt outside the trials. Before Jake or Meg continued, the wound began to heal up, as if time were reversed right in front of their eyes. The Entity was always present, Jake had guessed, and he turned to Meg to question if she knew. Meg let out a sigh, putting her hands back on her hips without batting an eye at the strangeness. "Guess I don't actually need one."

Jake let out a quiet sigh of relief and laughed, turning to the fire angrily as if he could scold it. Meg turned away after winking towards the sky, staring into the distance for a while before speaking. It was quiet for a bit, not awkward but more so peaceful. Eventually, Meg cleared the silence with a calm tone. "Alright, it was nice catching up with you, Park, but think I'm gonna go back to my tent now. I'm feeling another trial comin' on."

Meg smiled at Jake, turning around to face him again. It was true, they didn't have all "day" to waste time. Preparing mentally and physically for the next trial was crucial, so Jake understood quickly, though he never did that himself. He decided that, if maybe they weren't going to meet again for a while, he'd leave her with a better goodbye.

They embraced each other in a hug, and Meg playfully flicked Jake on the forehead. Meg laughed as Jake tried to dodge, realizing how similar in height they were. "Say hi to Claudette for me, alright?" 

"Of course," Jake replied, laughing as well as he tried to swat Meg's hand away. She then ruffled his hair before turning and running into the fog, the sandy air enveloping her until she was a black silhouette that faded away. Jake smiled sadly and turned in his own direction, giving the campfire one last look as a "goodbye" until he set off into the fog towards his own tent.

He crawled inside and silently thanked something 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 than the Entity for allowing him to meet such interesting people. Though he hated being placed in an endless loop of hell, the interactions he had between other survivors and the bonds he created helped distract him from the ultimate horrors of his new life. He was grateful to meet Meg and Claudette mostly, and he began to hope that they'd perhaps make it out of this place. Maybe all of them could escape together and go back to their lives. They could help everyone escape and go back home.

Jake now pondered home. He didn't really 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 a home. Sure, he had lived in the forest for a few years and built himself up a nice little treehouse with a few rooms and things, but he didn't have anybody except his mother to go back to. Even then, he barely saw her. He began to regret it, to regret not seeing his mother more, who was the only person to check on him. The only person who actually cared about how he was doing in the real world.

But Jake didn't want to think about home anymore and laid his head down, recalling various other events that happened and acknowledging his new life. Surely not permanent, he refused. He went over a multitude of trials, critiquing his own work and questioning things until he eventually landed himself on his most recent trial: the one at Haddonfield, and he most certainly remembered the incident with Myers.

At this point, he called himself out for always subconsciously thinking about the certain killer. He wanted to berate himself for it, to tell himself that he should really leave those thoughts alone, but he couldn't. No matter what he could distract himself with, the urge to know more always welled up in his chest and pushed him forward. Perhaps it wasn't just hope that compelled him to escape the trials, no, but it was the need to know more. The need for answers. And now, the need to know who Myers is.

There was something alluring about the killer, though Jake couldn't place it. Maybe not just physically, but something else as well. In some way, he felt connected to Myers, but not by any invisible string. It was just a feeling. Whenever he turned away from the killer, he felt compelled to turn back. He wanted to do more than stand there and awkwardly talk. But again, those were just a feelings for another day.

There Jake laid in his tent, wishing he could see the killer as usual. To meet him again in hopes of figuring something out, really 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 that could cure his curiosity or newfound determination. Maybe he could figure a way out.

But as Jake progressed through his trials, the curiosity only grew stronger, until it became something entirely different. An infatuation, that began to unknowingly plague him, continously festering below all of his emotions. Amongst the feeling he desperately tries to ignore.


	8. {{ ʟɪғᴛᴇᴅ }}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yoooo sorry i died for a week, was doing school and trying to come up with some more chapters. writing takes me hours so ive been having trouble trying to manage my time but ill be writing tomorrow since its the weekend. enjoy some more jayers interactions!! <33

As Jake opened his eyes, the obsession sound soon rang out, and a firmiliar scene lay about. Haddonfield, he recalled, seeing the police car in the middle of the road and the houses on both sides. It was just as foggy as it was before, perhaps even a little more than usual, and eerily silent as if it was just him. Jake looked at his coat, seeing the spider legs fidget before settling down again and fading into the fabric. He took a quick breath in, feeling his heart speed up and his mind instantly wandering. He didn't know he'd be back to Myers so soon, to the same map either, but he sure wasn't protesting.

Jake shook his head to clear his mind and crepted near a house on his left, finding the generator to be snuggled behind it. He got to work, setting down a toolbox he took with him and opening it to reveal a large gear. "A new part", Jake spoke to himself, taking it out and fixing it inside the generator. He tweaked a few things, pulled some levers, and eventually the cog started to move with the rest of the parts. The generator was finished in no time, and it sprung to life, lighting up abd exposing the area around him.

Jake quickly scampered away, sneaking through the dirty, white gates in the backyards of the houses until he came across an odd house, one unlike the others. It was a garage of some sort, with stairs that led down to another generator. Jake decided not to go, stopping at the top and curiosity revving up in his mind as he looked down, the spider legs on his jacket moving. He'd never noticed them moving before, pondering if it meant anything threatening or if they always did that. They twitched and shook as if agitated, and Jake then realized what it meant when he turned around and saw Myers standing in the doorway.

Jake let out a shriek of surprise, jumping back and grabbing his chest as if his heart just exploded. He closed his eyes as he tried to calm himself, opening them back up and swallowing as he saw Myers come through the doorway, crouching as usual to get through it.

"You scared the hell out of me," Jake stated in a slightly irritated tone. Myers did nothing except stand there, looking down at Jake as usual. Jake just looked up at him, and then away as he felt his face go hot with embarrassment and his stomach slightly turn. He spoke quietly, and wasn't even sure if Myers could hear. "It's not time yet."

Myers understood but hesitated for a moment, staring down at Jake who seemed just so small below him. Myers then walked out the door as a distant generator popped, leaving the house empty except for Jake, who just felt anticipation the rest of the trial. He tried to work, but kept missing skillchecks now, causing the other survivors to berate him to go do a totem instead. He was anxious and intruiged, wondering what Myers had in store for him later, if anything.

As Jake watched the totem break beneath his hands, he felt the ground shake as the exit gates were opened. He knew that he couldn't leave immediately, so he slowly walked around bushes and towards the gate, seeing the other survivors urge him to come forward. There were only 2 other survivors, one of them already sacrificed and the others being Nea and Kate.

Nea waved her hand in the air, wondering why Jake wasn't bolting towards her. Her heart started to pick up as she watched the dark figure from the shadows appear to be Myers, who loomed behind Jake frighteningly. Nea turned away, grabbing the other survivors arm and pulling them with her. She wondered if Jake had a death wish.

Jake thanked them quietly for running off instead of asking questions, and turned around to see Myers standing right behind him. He jumped again quietly, letting out an angered exhale and quickly speaking. "Can you please tap my shoulder or something, instead of giving me a heart attack?"

Myers ignored Jake and grabbed his jacket, slinging Jake over his shoulder and walking down the street as per usual. Jake didn't protest, now used to this treatment. He watched from above the ground as Myers brought them both into one of the houses, walking up the stairs and putting Jake back down gently this time.

Jake fixed his jacket angrily, patting it down so it didn't seem all screwed up. The two men both stood stop of the stairs, beside the railing as the ground shook from the Engame Collapse, letting them know there was only a bit of time left. They were at least nowhere near a hook, which Jake started to suspect less and less would ever happen.

As Jake stood there staring up at Myers, who did nothing, he became curious again, shoving aside the usual irritation of being pushed around and the fear he previously felt. The atmosphere between them was no longer clouded with anxiety, and instead was calm and awkward and tense. Jake hesitated, then spoke, voice slightly quivering. "Can you crouch so we're face to face?"

Myers didn't move, or change his emotionless gaze. Jake's face flushed as he thought of a different idea.

"Okay, can you pick me up so we're face to face? My neck just hurts..." Jake proposed, slowly holding his arms out. He didn't know if his neck actually did hurt, but he wanted to see if Myers would listen. Myers turned his head to the side, gaze now curious, then put his hands out under Jake's arms to lift him up. Jake let out a noise of surprise, moving his hands to grab Myers' shoulders as he was lifted. Jake could 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 the muscles tense and move beneath his hands as Myers heaved Jake up with no effort, holding him at eye level. Maybe Jake 𝘸𝘢𝘴 a little tired of having to crane his neck up all the time, maybe this was a bit too weird, but he did want to look at Myers' eyes again. Maybe he could see them clearly this time, or something like that.

As Jake's hands rested on Myers' shoulder, he slowly moved them down, feeling just how unexpectedly muscular Myers was. Jake brought his fingers over Myers arms until he caught himself and pulled away, face flushing with embarrassment as he held his hands to his chest tightly. He looked away from Myers, not wanting to confront the fact that he was just basically feeling up the other man. "Sorry..."

Myers moved his head back to normal now, looking into Jake's eyes again. He pulled Jake closer to him now, and Jake slowly and hesitantly looked back. Jake's mouth moved as if he were going to ask a question, but he decided against it. Myers eyes were once again full of curiosity and desire, and he just waited for Jake to do something, not paying mind to Jake's previous action. Jake locked eyes with him and his mind sparked again.

Eventually, his mind pulled another question out of the well of his thoughts as he lowered his arms back to his side, the tension in the air fading a little. "Were you really gonna stab me?"

Myers shook his head no, his gaze softening as he looked at Jake. Jake only looked away again, his cheeks burning as if he was trying to confess something. But again, they sat in silence as Jake pondered the answer.

When the silence was too long to handle for Jake, he decided to speak again, anxiously hesitating for a while as he looked back up at Myers. "Does anybody know about this? About... us?"

Myers shook his head no again, barely blinking. Jake only looked around the room awkwardly before back at Myers. "I haven't told anyone, so they don't know... Good thing they don't ask, either... Do you think the Entity knows?"

Jake recalled the one event in the Red Forest cabin, where the Entity shot out of the ground and grabbed both men with its long, bloody tendrils. Jake had just guessed their time had run out in the map, and maybe it didn't know. Hopefully, it didn't. If the Entity really knew, they wouldn't have let Jake and Myers meet all those other times before. Why would it let them, anyway?

Myers hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. Jake let out a small sigh of relief, letting himself go limp for a moment before tensing again. Myers held him firmly but not uncomfortably, his fingers not digging into Jake but tight enough so that he didn't fall or slide down. Jake watched Myers carefully, then without really thinking, lifted his hand over to Myers' mask. He felt the white, rubber fabric before fitting his fingers underneath it, feeling the trapped heat gloss over his finger tips. Myers' skin was hot and the humidity from his breath wetted Jake's fingers as he slowly pried the white mask up, mind now racing with so many thoughts. Myers did nothing for a moment, his breathing pace picking up before he moved his head away from Jake's hand, not yet trusting him enough. 

Myers lowered Jake back to the ground quickly after that, and Jake's fingers slipped back down to his sides shamefully. He felt like he may have just gone a bit too far, and he wanted to apologize, but he couldn't. He just stared up at Myers, mouth slightly agape, mind now occupied with countless ideas and thoughts that kept his stomach turning. Myers turned his now emotionless gaze away and walked down the stairs, waiting for Jake to follow.

Jake watched him go, and felt unusually left out, so he quickly shut his mouth and walked down the stairs, eager to see where Myers was going to bring him. The loneliness he felt without a person around wasn't unusual now, but still felt a little wrong since he was with a killer. He didn't think to really protest it though, letting himself feel as he walked down the street. He would deal with all of this later.

Myers just brought him back to the exit gate, and Jake let out a very disappointed, upset sigh. He scratched his head, feeling the loneliness develop even more as he watched the ground light up with orange bursts and shake.

"I don't wanna go," Jake stated, his voice low and pleading. He watched the ground pulse with light between its cracks, and he sadly loosened his shoulders.

Myers didn't turn around, staring into the opened gate before them. Jake then felt embarrassed and alone. He genuinely did not want to leave, for reasons he didn't really know himself, other than loneliness and the want to talk to Myers more. He didn't feel lonely with Myers, admittedly, and it was unlike the feeling when he was with friends. It was more rewarding, as well as stressful, but also fulfilling in a strange way. 

Eventually, a new found stubbornness washed over Jake and he stood up fully, stupidly refusing to walk into the foggy air beyond the gate. The ding of the Endgame Collapse rang out in response, the floor gently vibrating and reminding the both men that there was rarely any time left to talk. Myers became impatient and turned around violently, walking over to Jake and grabbing the sleeve of his jacket. He pulled Jake along, who protested and slammed his feet on the ground like a kid throwing a tantrum. 

Myers quickly dragged him into the gate before the Entity shot out from the ground and stopped the killer from going any farther. Myers paused, looking at Jake who was so incredibly irritated, his body tensing as if he were expecting to be stabbed. Myers only analyzed him for a moment before shoving him towards the fog, not roughly but just hard enough to get Jake moving. As usual, Jake just began to run towards the campfire in the far distance, compelled by an unknown force.

As Jake arrived at the camp, he was just somewhat pissed. His face and demeanor certainly showed it, as Nea gave him a questioning glare as he walked up. It pissed Jake off even more and he turned away, ignoring Kate's southern calls and deciding to just go to sleep. He walked into the distance, eventually discovering his tent and climbing into it hastily.

Jake sat, knees to his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs. He rested his chin on his knees, his bottom lip sticking out in a slight pout. He wasn't really sure why he was angry, maybe because he was once again being shoved around by the Entity 𝘢𝘯𝘥 had no time to talk Myers. But his anger quickly turned to sadness as he thought more about the events he just went through, and then he eventually felt guilty abd embarrassed. 

Why did he enjoy talking to Myers, and Why'd he keep wanting it do it? Myers never said anything back, only responded when he wanted to, and also mercilessly sacrificed his teammates. He also favored Jake for some reason, though Jake wasn't too sure he cared about that anymore. Despite all the negative things, Jake felt less alone when he was with the killer. He felt, in some way, like he was appreciated by Myers. Myers never said anything, sure, but the way he looked at Jake would say everything he needed to know. It mostly made Jake feel funny, but also 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥, in a way, . Comforted and calm, in just that short amount of time they had spent together. 

Jake thought that him and Myers were at least friends now. They never hung out for too long, which Jake unexplainably hated, but they never hurt each other. They just 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘥... at least one of them. And yet, though Jake had so much to say, so much to spill behind his lips, he refused to let it out. For some reason, the guilt that had plagued him since the beginning still somewhat lingered within him, and he was sort of scared what opening up to himself might do. He shouldn't be 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 with a killer, rather, he should despise them. But he never really could, not someone like Myers. Someone who made him forget his guilt, forget his other feelings, his surroundings...

Jake quickly undid his position and laid down on his side now, eyes starting to flutter as he felt the fog starting to consume him already. He grabbed a medkit, pulling it to his chest before fulling closing his eyes, his heart dancing around his previous emotions as he tried to interpret them. Almost instantly the fog filled his mind, clouding his body and thoughts, consuming him before he had the time to fully reflect the internal decisions he had to make.


	9. {{ sᴛᴀʀɢᴀᴢɪɴɢ }}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> things are finally kicking into gear wih the 2 :) hope u enjoy!!! <3

Jake coughed as he inhaled the sandy air blowing past him. When he quickly shielded his eyes, he opened them to peer across a desert landscape littered with cacti and broken down western houses, much of which were rotten and teetering. "Glendale," Jake said to himself, reading the back of a distant, rusty sign that swung in the wind. The air was cold and windy despite the desert surroundings, and Jake closed his coat as to prevent the wind from getting to his bones. When he moved his hand, he saw the firmiliar spider mark fade and instantly he turned hot, eyes widening in response. Once again, he didn't except to be meeting Myers so soon. Not that he ever prepared for it, either.

Looking up at the sky, Jake's mind had sparked an idea. There was a sunset, and just above the orange and blue ombre, the dark sky was littered with stars. Jake couldn't see too well through the dusty air in his eyes and turned to some of the houses, wondering if he could get up ontop of the roofs to get a better view. With the help of Myers, perhaps he could.

This particular trial went by rather fast, Jake noticed. His teammates were hooked and unhooked, sacrificed here and there, and only 3 gens got done. Everyone seemed to scramble at their tasks including Jake, who didn't really understand why, but tried his best to be go with everyone. Eventually, he dropped his medkit- now empty.

When Jake felt the ground shake and saw the swirling clouds of the Entity take away the last survivor, he felt his heart beat speed up a little. Though he wasn't scared of Myers anymore, as he reminded himself multiple times, he still got unexplainably flustered. He stopped messing with the generator he was working on and turned around to see Myers walking up to him quickly, as if he were waiting the entire trial to see Jake.

Jake didn't jerk this time but still felt his heart jump, his head raising to peer up at the other man. They stood their usual ways apart so that Jake wouldn't crane his neck anymore, and Jake still felt embarrassed about their last encounter, as he always did when they met.

Jake cleared his throat from the dry air and decided to speak, voice slightly shaking as he looked up at Myers. "Can you help me with something?"

Myers didn't react.

"I want to show you something," Jake said honestly, picking at his fingernails behind his back as he stood there. He was embarrassed, not of anything he did, but because he was standing right there with Myers. It was the awkward feeling that you get when you stand near your crush, let alone talk to them. Jake almost slapped himself at the thought, knowing how outrageous it sounded but not being able to describe the feeling any other way. He subconsciously wallowed in it.

Myers eventually nodded, and then Jake became sort of excited. He looked up at the sky, then at a particular house in the distance that he surveyed earlier in the trial. "Follow me," Jake said, motioning with his hands for Myers to follow. Jake set off rather quickly and turned back to see Myers, still standing there, seemingly dumbfounded. Jake worked up the courage to walk back and hesitantly grabbed Myers' wrist, pulling him gently along. "C'mon, you have to come with me or I can't do it."

Jake pulled Myers along and eventually arrived at one of the houses that had a staircase leading up to a tiny deck. They both walked up until they reached the back, and Jake stood, eyeing the roof. "We need to get up there. Can you... lift me up?"

Myers moved his arms and grabbed Jake, just like he did last time, and lifted him up towards the roof. Jake let out a small yelp at the sudden movement and awkwardly climbed out of Myers grasp, treading onto the roof with caution before deciding it was sturdy enough to settle. "I obviously can't lift you, but you can still get up here," Jake said, peering over the side and seeing Myers stare at him from below. 

It felt weird and Jake giggled for the first time in a while, causing him to place a hand over his mouth at the sudden reaction. He quickly excused himself when Myers moved his head to the side curiously, as if asking what he was laughing at. "You look funny from up here..."

Jake giggled again and backed away, looking towards the sun and seeing the orange hue intertwining with blue and white clouds. It was beautiful and felt so nostalgic, reminding Jake of the times where he would run away from home and watch the stars go by when it got dark in the forest. But he hadn't gazed for too long, as he noticed Myers didn't come up on the roof after a little bit. 

Jake moved back and peered over the side again, seeing Myers 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 standing there looking up. "Why aren't you coming up here?"

Myers gave no response.

"I want you to see the stars with me," Jake said, causing himself to shut up quickly after he just exposed himself. Of course he didn't want to admire the sky alone, he genuinely wanted to hang out, but he didn't mean for it to sound like 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵. He dared not to say anything more, thinking Myers might just turn away at the idea. But he didn't, and he stood there for a little while longer, perhaps pondering the message. Jake's face became more and more red as he sat and thought ontop the roof, staring down at Myers who stared back. Their usual staring contest had begun.

Jake eventually gave up and nervously scooted up, enough so that his upper body was almost falling off the roof. He hesitantly placed his hand out to Myers, who looked at it and took it immediately. Jake felt shocked at how quickly Myers reacted, previously believing that he wasn't even listening to Jake anymore. Jake's stomach twisted as he looked down at their hands, and he quickly pulled Myers towards him so he didn't have to endure the bugs. Myers didn't really budge, and he just looked at Jake, satisfied. "Come here," Jake pleaded, gripping Myers' hand tightly and wondering why he was even doing this.

Myers eventually moved, heaving himself onto the roof. It looked funny and Jake giggled again, turning away as if he could hide his amusement. When Myers stopped causing a ruckus, Jake took his hand away, immediately missing the warmth that had settled between their hands. He ignored it though and placed his hands down so he could lean back, and he looked towards the sky now, seeing all the white dots that endlessly covered the sky. He smiled at it, mindlessly counting them all and seeing if he could find any constellations. Myers didn't look up, staring at Jake and sitting there rather tensed, so Jake decided to fill the silence as usual. "This reminds me of when I was a kid, I would run away all the time. But I can't find my favorite constellation here..."

Jake began to notice that the sun had never set. The clouds moved but the sun never went away, and the stars never twinkled. There was an usual plethora of them, much more than you could see on Earth. Jake's smile faded as he realized this, and he looked back to Myers, who still hadn't moved his gaze from Jake. Jake's face became puzzled, and he turned his head away, embarrassed. "Why don't you look at the stars? I don't think they're real, but... they're still nice, I guess."

Myers slowly and finally looked towards the sky, causing Jake to turn and watch him closely. Myers' head darted around as he looked, from the sunset to the darkest part of the sky. Jake then turned as well and tried to find the biggest and brightest star, which nestled in a far corner of the map. He pointed. "That's my favorite."

Myers turned and pointed to it too, and Jake tried to guess what he meant. "Yeah, that one... Is that your favorite too?..."

Myers nodded. Jake smiled shyly in response and put his hand back down, and Myers did the same. They sat in silence, admiring the sky until Jake felt Myers hand move over his. Jake pulled away in surprise, apologizing with a small awkward laugh as he felt his face flash with heat. "I'm sorry, the roof is a little small..."

Myers turned to Jake and took Jake's hand in his own, holding it like they had done before. Jake's face flushed again and he looked down, not knowing what to do and not expecting anything like this to happen. He almost couldn't believe that any of this 𝘸𝘢𝘴 happening, yet he didn't try to pull away. He swallowed before speaking, his voice once again shaking as he looked down at his lap. "Do you like... holding my hand?"

Myers didn't answer for a moment, staring down at their intertwined hands. Eventually he nodded, grabbing Jake's hand more tightly now as if to solidify the answer. Jake shifted in response, staying still and tensed, not sure what else to say. He wasn't uncomfortable, no, but he couldn't take his attention off Myers. He no longer could focus on anything around him, he didn't care about the stars or the sun anymore. He could only feel the heat between their hands as they connected, wondering what it meant, if anything. 

They stayed like that for a while, Myers never removing his gaze. Jake noticed and swallowed, turning away from staring at their hands. "I'm sorry, it was just unexpected..."

But when Myers loosened his grip, Jake protested, holding Myers' hand tightly now and realizing that he sort of liked it too. "It's okay, I don't mind," Jake quickly said, hesitantly moving his head back over to look at the other man as his stomach swirled. Myers did nothing, staring at Jake until suddenly perking his head up and looking into the distance.

Jake's face flushed with concern when Myers let go and turned, getting off the roof in a hurry. "W-wait, don't go," Jake stuttered, following Myers and hopping off the roof. He stumbled down the steps as Myers waited at the end of the staircase, and Jake looked at him with embarrassment, wondering if he did something wrong. "Where are you going?"

Myers took Jake's hand again which calmed him, but only for a moment until he became concerned again. Myers peered out and evenually, they both trotted around the small town, hand in hand. Jake inevitably guessed that Myers was searching for the hatch, just in a hurry.

Despite the cold wind, Jake felt pretty warm now, trailing behind Myers as they walked around and still feeling that funny, warm swirl in his stomach. Myers' hand was so big compared to Jake's, and it just made him feel even funnier. Eventually Jake heard the ominous growl of the opened hatch and turned, pulling Myers with him until they discovered it. Jake didn't break away, and neither did Myers, but only for a few moments until Myers perked his head again, alerted. He let go of Jake's hand and grabbed his knife instead, which had been hidden inside the pocket of his pants. Jake's face contorted in confusion at the sudden change, and he stared at the hatch, watching the fog seep out of it. His hand awkwardly rested at his side limply, now cold from the absence of Myers' huge hand. Jake stood, his shoulders limp again, and Myers suddenly tensed. He nudged Jake towards the hatch, and Jake's eyebrows furrowed. "But I don't understand why. Why do I have to go? There's no Collapse..."

Myers peered above Jake and grabbed his shoulder, this time forcing Jake towards the hatch. Jake let out a yelp as he slightly tripped, stepping into the hatch unwillingly and being swallowed by the darkness, where all the sound drowned out. He was left confused when he got spit back out inside his tent, wondering if there was something he did wrong. Maybe he got carried away with the hand holding? But Myers initiated it, so perhaps that couldn't be the case...

Jake decided not to leave his tent, not wanting the others to call him out on his awkward behavior. While they all acted quickly last trial, he still didn't need to hear the unwanted words of criticism piercing his eardrums. As of right now, his mind was full of ideas he wanted to ignore and feelings he wasn't sure about. It was all over the place and Jake felt it begin to overwhelm him a little, but he did not succumb to sleep.

Instead, he sat up, putting his knees to his chest again as he analyzed himself. He didn't think too much of "why this" or "why that" anymore, and instead began to think about "when" and "how". Jake's need for answers now festered into his want for more, to which he didn't want to explain or excuse. He would 𝘭𝘦𝘵 himself enjoy what he could, especially since he was trapped inside the Entity's endless games. And maybe that was being too selfish, but Jake didn't think on that.

He didn't know how long he could keep up the facade with other survivors, but it seemed like a while. Jake felt 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 completely comfortable with Myers, at least enough to hold his hand. He didn't know how long he could keep his interal feelings pent up, how long he could ignore it. But he denied those too. There was nothing he needed to contfront as he continuously dismissed his infatuation. And though him and Myers had a moment, just that one incident, Jake couldn't stop thinking about it.


	10. {{ sᴏʀʀʏ }}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lots of ideas all at once that i gotta fit in here, so here's the stereotypical "oh no they're hurt" scenario whdhdshd. its cute i promise <3 <3<3 enjoy!!

It had been about a week's time since Jake had last met with Myers, and a week too long. Jake couldn't and wouldn't stop thinking about the killer, trying to push aside his embarrassment so him and Myers could have a real conversation, but he could never get rid of those curious butterflies. Jake subconsciously yearned for the warm touch that Myers had given him, but he didn't really notice until Myers pulled away.

Jake had the determination to ask or say something to Myers, but it always went away when he actually met him. Jake's mind always went blank, causing him to be unattentive to everything he was previously focused on. Jake gritted his teeth as he worked on a generator in Springwood, promising himself that he wouldn't let those butterflies get in the way, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 they were for.

Jake unfortunately lost his current trial and felt the Entity's tendril rip through his stomach, causing him to instantly pass out and wake up in his tent. He quickly sat up, his mind detaching from the pain he just experienced as he felt his body intact, never getting used to it. He calmed down quickly and looked at his belongings, noticing that he had a fine plethora of items and add ons and offerings that he should probably use more. Jake sighed and packed himself a usual med kit, one with extra bandages and butterfly tape since he figured he probably wouldn't use it. He set it to the side as he exited his tent, shaking his head.

Jake walked out to the campfire, seeing no one until a while later. Out of the sandy fog came Kate, who seemed like the only other person that had died early, too. She heaved a little, running over to Jake.

Kate smiled at Jake as soon as the pain and fear went away, sitting next to him on the stump. After she calmed her breathing, Jake sparked a conversation, not really sure what to say. "Sacrificed?"

"Yup," Kate responded, a guilty look then washing over her face. Jake didn't mean to rub it in or make her feel bad, so he quickly responded. "That's okay, you tried your best. I'm glad you're here anyway, else I'd be all alone..."

"Yeah, thanks," Kate said sincerely, giving Jake a soft smile before her face contorted into confusion. "Say, you been alright? You've seemed distracted most trials... You doin' okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm alright," Jake said, quickly dismissing the concern so there was no suspicion. He wouldn't reveal anything, even if he really wanted to get it off his chest. Not a word. "I'm sorry about that," Jake quickly muttered, making up a random excuse on the dot that was half true. "Just figured that we weren't going to make it out by how fast the killer was downing..."

"Try not to accept defeat too early, alright? You're way too good for that, y'hear?" Kate tried to comfort, placing her hand on Jake's arm. But Jake decided not to engage in the conversation anymore, not wanting to reveal his slowly emptying optimism.

"I'll try," Jake plainly said, moving away from Kate slightly. Kate sighed, not knowing what she did wrong. Jake had tried not to make things worse, but he always seemed to. "It's not your fault, it's just... hard sometimes."

Kate only nodded with a "yeah" before taking her arm away and moving it back to her lap. She looked down, probably longing for her guitar to fill the crackling silence in the atmosphere. She gave Jake a quick pat on the shoulder before leaving him alone, to which Jake's uneasiness with loneliness set in. Eventually he got bored of staring into the fire and walked back to his tent as well.

~~

Jake's heart sped up as he heard the firmiliar howling sound in his ears. He knew it all too well and immediately assessed his surroundings, not paying mind to the crawling symbol on his chest anymore. He noticed he was in the Red Forest again, and thanked the air that it wasn't the Temple of Purgation part of the woods, or whatever Claudette had told him. He already came across the little cabin, which held the deer guts and hides he'd seen so often, across its wooden walls.

Firmiliar enough with his surroundings, Jake passed through the Smoke house after opening a disappointing chest. He worked on a generator, wishing he had someone else next to him so the gen could get done faster. There wasn't really any rush, as Jake was in no danger, but he still wanted to see Myers, and quick.

As usual, Jake helped hook and unhook fellow survivors throughout the trial. He began to worry that they would notice how he was usually the last one alive, but he thought the excuse "I'm the obsession" was convincing enough. He couldn't get Myers to attack anyway, as he had tried multiple times. Myers would turn away or wait for Jake to leave until resuming his sadistic nature, which Jake felt extremely thankful for more and more.

After Jake healed a fellow survivor, having to use his medkit, he tried to get her to follow him. Instead, she looked up and turned, running in the opposite direction in fear. Jake's face contorted and he turned around, letting out a yelp when he saw Myers standing there, knife raised. Immediately, Jake protested the thought that Myers would actually hit him, which came true when Myers shoved past Jake to continue hunting. Myers looked horrifying, gaze only softening for a second before turning back to intense bloodlust. He quietly went after his victim, and Jake even felt sorry for them, despite not knowing them. A tinge of guilt lingered in the past of his mind as he continued to walk.

Jake eventually stumbled into the bigger cabin and up the stairs, but this time decided to look through the rooms. They were usually lit with candles, filled with old wardrobes, mattresses, and broken mirrors. Jake traveled into one room that had a wardrobe, with some resemblance to a shrine sitting on top of it. The floor was covered in hay and there wasn't a wall at the end, and Jake guessed the Entity had just screwed with the building for trial purposes.

Jake walked into a different room, where all there lay but a sad, small mattress. It could probably only fit Jake if he laid, and perhaps his feet would hang off. It was thin and a little springy, but it was somewhere to sit nonetheless. Much better than the old, cushionless chair that he'd been thrown into many times before. He decided he'd sit there for a moment, looking at the paintings on the wall and dropping his medkit, until he heard the firmiliar steps of Myers' feet echo throughout the house.

Jake's face heated up as he looked over and saw Myers standing right in the doorway, and Jake immediately questioned him. "How'd you know I was in here?"

Myers didn't respond and Jake also wondered where the last survivor was, but decided not to question it. He cleared his throat and moved over, gesturing for Myers to come sit next to him, but Myers didn't move.

"Come sit here, it's more comfortable than the chairs," Jake stated, patting the space on the mattress next to him. Though it was pretty small length wise, it was wide enough and probably thick enough to keep them both somewhat comfortable. Myers hesitated but eventually walked into the room, sitting on the mattress just like Jake and setting his knife down on the ground. The bloodlust had faded from his eyes and he went back to his usual curious gaze, looking over at Jake. Jake gave him a shy, awkward smile, forgetting everything he was planning to do when he caught a glimpse of Myers' bloodsoaked arm. Though the blood was stained into the sleeve, Jake raised his hand to touch it and realized it was still fresh and bleeding. 𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬?

"What happened?" Jake said, concern in his voice as he touched the red marks. Myers said nothing and stared at Jake, not showing any signs that he was in pain, or that anything was even wrong. Jake tried to lift Myers' sleeve up, but it only rolled up to a certain point, so he moved his shaky hand to unzip Myers' jumpsuit. 

Even though his face was heated and his brain told him to stop, Jake was more concerned with finding out why Myers was bleeding. It'd never happened before and seemed extremely unusual, as survivors usually never fought back unless they had a piece of glass in their pocket. Jake decided to ask as he opened Myers' jumpsuit, noticing the black shirt that he wore underneath. 

"Did a survivor do this?" Jake asked, blinking and peeling away the bloody sleeve, uncovering Myers' arm. It was full of wounds like someone with claws had attacked him, or at least tried to. Jake immediately turned and grabbed his medkit, opening it and pulling out the bandages and placing them. He tried his best to close the smaller wounds with the last bit of butterfly tape, but some of them were too big and wouldn't stay. When Jake finally looked back at Myers, he realized what he'd been doing. Myers' eyes still did not show pain, but something else. 𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

Jake guessed that Myers wounds hadn't healed quickly like survivors, because killers weren't really supposed to get hurt. Jake was surprised Myers didn't flinch or anything though, he just sat there and breathed calmly. But when Jake was done addressing Myers' wounds, he hadn't immediately put Myers sleeve back on. Instead, he looked and saw that the wounds traveled down to Myers' chest, and Jake became even more concerned. Immediately, he spoke, "Who did this!?"

Myers hesitated before bringing his other hand over, moving his fingers as if to indicate a spider. Jake didn't know what he was trying to say until it suddenly clicked, and the sudden realization hit him in the face.

The Entity had attacked him.

"I'm so sorry... God, I'm so sorry," Jake said, bringing a hand up to his head as he assessed the situation in a frantic panic. The Entity had punished Myers, probably for more than one specific reason, and Jake felt guilty and horrible, knowing he contributed to it. He turned to Myers, looking him up and down as if to question why he'd let it happen.

Myers didn't know what to do next, watching Jake carefully. Jake's face contorted to fear as he thought, wondering if the Entity had caught them doing anything. Eventually, things started to click, and Jake realized why Myers was in a rush all those trials ago. Why they could never spend a lot of time together. 

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry," Jake repeated, looking up at Myers who only stared back. Myers had no aggression in his eyes, like he wasn't blaming Jake for anything. But Jake was unconvinced, promising Myers that he would make sure this never happened again.

Myers didn't know what else to do other than reach his hand out and grab Jake's, which he had done in their previous trial. Jake stopped panicking immediately, looking down at their hands as if they'd never done this before. His breathing didn't calm but his face softened, reddening again. Jake knew this was Myers' attempt to calm him down, to which it did. It brought his mind somewhere else, away from the Entity. Away from his worries; for the moment. 

Jake liked it, admittedly. For some odd reason, he liked holding hands. Jake honestly guessed that it had been a one time thing, but Myers never forgot about it. He had liked it, too.

Myers pulled his hand away and pulled his sleeve back on, zipping his shirt back up. Jake let him retrieve his hand, and then moved his own to pack up the medkit, which was now empty. They sat in their usual silence, Jake replaying the feeling of holding hands in his head over and over. He glanced at Myers, who looked straight ahead, seemingly occupied by something else. Jake then flushed and leaned over, resting his head on Myers' shoulder while his heart shook under his skin. Myers didn't protest or move, so Jake closed his eyes and quickly fell into a state of rest, eventually calming himself at the silent reassurance.

Eventually Myers looked back over to see why Jake hadn't spoke yet, and was slightly surprised to see Jake sleeping(?) there. Since Myers turned, Jake's head slid down, now resting in Myers' lap where he didn't even stir. Myers didn't want to wake him or scare him, so he watched Jake carefully and closely, noticing how peaceful Jake looked. His face was relaxed, and his lips were slightly parted as he breathed slowly, so Myers confirmed Jake was definitely sleeping.

After a while, Jake opened his eyes, not recognizing where he was. He had only been out for about 10 minutes, as much as Myers could give him before having to be woken up with a nudge to his shoulder. Once Jake realized where he was, he moved his head, also realizing he had uncomfortably slumped over. He shot up immediately, face turning red as he stared at Myers, who only stared back as if nothing was wrong.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Jake asked, guessing he already knew the answer. Myers didn't answer and Jake looked away, turning back to grab his medkit and standing up, to which Myers also stood up. Jake quickly saw himself in the mirror, noticing his hair had been a little ruffled. He hadn't move much, so...

"I suppose it's time," Jake said, ignoring the fact that Myers had been playing with his hair the entirety of his nap. He was flushed, trying to think of something else to say but coming to a blank. His stomach churned with some unnatural feeling as he dismissed the energy in the room, walking out and down the stairs quickly.

This time, Jake accepted the fact that he'd have to leave so soon, and didn't throw a fit, as he wouldn't anymore. Myers guided Jake out of the cabin now, taking Jake's hand in his own as they walked, which Jake assumed would become a regular habit. He would eventually stop being so embarrassed by it, being able to letting himself enjoy the warmth that came from the small action. But the other events of the night buzzed in his mind and kept his face red.

Jake laid down in his tent after jumping through the hatch, the previous warmth feeling fading away and Jake longing for it. He began to, more and more, picturing him and Myers' hands interlaced as they walked. That slight tinge of guilt resurfaced as well, reminding him of what Myers' hands had done, but he selfishly ignored it.

Jake sat up immediately and shook his head, focusing his mind on the bundles of offerings that sat at his feet and eventually sorting them to occupy himself. When he laid down, he put his hand back up to his hair and patted it down, realizing how unusually soft it was, despite his dirty surroundings. But Jake shrugged it off before eventually dozing, his eyes fluttering as he tried to piece together unanswered questions about the realm in which he was stuck in.


	11. {{ ᴄʜᴏᴄᴏʟᴀᴛᴇ }}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so sorry its been so long, i had a huge burnout and also school really took all my freetime, as well as a lot of personal events. but im back!! i may pump out chapters more slowly but at least they will be written properly and not rushed. hope you enjoy this chapter, though it may be a little sporadic 

Jake awoke to rest his eyes upon a not so firmiliar map, nor a pleasant one to look at. The place was littered with trash, random chairs, barrel fires, as well as various broken cars and junk. "𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯," Jake felt the words echo in his mind from Meg, but he never expected it to look like 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴.

As he wandered about, Jake came across an old gas station or convenient store of some kind, the sign shining and flashing brightly amongst the foggy air and debris. The inside looked ransacked, like someone had come in and trashed the place, stealing every thing inside despite the wooden boards on the windows. It was broken down and sad, and Jake turned to the garage, which held a generator next to a broken car. Jake wondered if it had also been a mechanics shop.

After the generator was complete, the garage opened its doors and the cold and wet air seeped in. Jake slightly cringed at the sudden change in temperature and walked out, peering around to see what else he could find. It wasn't like he hadn't been here a few times, but he could never be sure who the killer was. He swore he could hear the pitter patter of someone running up to him, and as he turned, Meg appeared before him.

"Meg!" Jake exclaimed, half scared and half relieved to see a firmiliar face. 

"Park!" Meg replied, smiling as wide as she could have. They both instinctively crouched, knowing they probably shouldn't have spoke so loud. Jake was delighted to see a firmiliar face, his loneliness fading away momentarily. 

"How have you been? It always feels like forever," Jake exclaimed, leaning his body against the small tower of cars him and Meg were squished against. Meg looked around before speaking, her backpack shuffling as she moved. "I'm fine. Actually, I have to show you something after the match, so promise me you'll make it out!"

"We can escape together. Tag team?" Jake insisted, even though he knew they could both suffice on their own. Meg happily agreed, and they both got to work after a quick handshake, searching and quickly doing generators or totems.

The killer turned out to be someone Jake never really survived against; 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵. He didn't know her, other than what Meg had called her, but she was terrifying to go against. She disappeared and reappeared like a ghost, phasing in and out of existence and letting out a horrible sound. It made Jake's skin crawl everytime he heard it, and he could tell she was in constant pain. Her disfigured body said that much.

Although she was tough to go against, Meg and Jake had managed to stick together, only being driven away from each other once or twice. The endgame sirens rang and Meg was at the gate before Jake could even recover from the gen sparking to life in his face. She was always super quick on her toes, way faster than Jake of course, especially when sprinting. Jake never paid mind though, always knowing it was because of her previous running hobby, but he still struggled to keep up every single time.

Meg was at the gate and had it open in no time, and they both ran out with victorious laughs. When they got to the camp, Jake let out a sigh of relief when the warmth of the barrel fire hit his skin. He sat on one of the stumps, feeling the droplets on his skin slowly evaporate and noticing that he wasn't stuck at the usual sandy camp. He was in the rare forest, where the dark trees hung over him like a cloud and the air outside of the fire was slightly chilled. It was eerie, and it made Jake feel as though somebody was watching, hidden deep in the array of black bark.

Jake shifted his attention back to Meg, who came to sit next to him as she waved the other survivors away from her and Jake. She pulled her backpack down and unzipped it, pausing to look at Jake. "Are you ready?"

Jake answered with a laugh, wondering what could be so great, and Meg reached into her bag and pulled out a good sized chocolate bar. It was pretty clean for being in a place like this, almost new, and Jake's jaw dropped. "Where did you get that?"

"I just found it in my tent when I came back from a trial. I have no idea why it's there or anything, but I got three, so you can have this one if you want," Meg said, smiling and handing the candy over to Jake. Jake perhaps guessed it was either a holiday thing, or a reward for good behavior.

"It's been so long since I've eaten anything," Jake said, feeling the hardened chocolate through the wrapper. Even though Jake had never gotten hungry anymore, it was still true, he hadn't actually eaten for months. Meg interrupted his thoughts for a moment, zipping up the backpack and throwing it back on her back. "I already gave the other one to Claudette, and I'm still saving mine for some reason. But I hope you enjoy!"

Jake nodded with a smile, putting the chocolate into one of his pockets. Shortly after, him and Meg walked into the distant forest, chatting about the killers and the maps and whatever other gossip there was. Jake learned there was a killer named Ghostface, or Danny, and he should be aware of him if ever encountered. He seemed to snoop around everyone's business, having the most sense of humanity and charisma out of the majority of killers. 

Later, after Jake restlessly tossed in his tent, he finally drifted off and awoke shaking, his surroundings being extremely windy and cold. Snow fell to the ground quickly and whirred around, and the freeze that came with the wind tore through Jake's gloves. His coat somewhat protected his body, but everywhere else was freezing. He slowly moved along the terrain, knowing that he should probably move more to help his decreasing body temperature. 

The snow crunched under his boots, and Jake thought crouching might help reduce the sound, but it didn't. Regardless, he peered across the map after walking up to a watch tower, and saw a broken down building in the distance that he hadn't noticed before. It was falling apart but seemed warmer than being out in the snow, so Jake hopped down and ran towards it, entering through a giant hole in the side.

Immediately it was warmer than the outside, and Jake saw a fireplace nestling in the middle of the building. He ran over and crouched, rubbing his hands in front of the temporary heater to warm himself up. He looked around, noticing various doors and rooms, as well as a generator at the bottom of the stairs. He cursed under his breath, remembering that he was participating in a trial with a bloodthirsty killer after him. How could he forget.

After he was somewhat warmed up, Jake walked over to the generator and began to get started. It whirred so painfully slow, the metal almost freezing to the touch as Jake pulled levers and rearranged gears. He heard no cries of pain, no screams of being hooked, nothing, not even another generator dinging to life. Just the sound of the air seeping through the windows and the building's structure temporarily creak.

The generator eventually came to life, and Jake hesitated to leave the building yet, so he travelled up the stairs. To his surprise, there were two vending machines in the corner. Jake's curiosity got the best of him and he pressed some buttons, realizing he had no money to get anything, even if he could. The vending machines buzzed quietly, their lights flickering every now and then, but no drink popped out. No words came across the little pad to tell him to insert a dollar, either.

Jake sighed, disappointed though not actually expecting the machines to work. He gave up and walked outside, regretting it instantly but figuring he can't just stand around the entire time. He tried to look for somebody, any sort of life, but the snow blew threw the air and covered almost everything in a white sheet.

When Jake turned, he did not expect to find Myers standing there, nor did he even hear the man approach. Jake let out a yelp, as usual, and sighed harshly. "Why didn't you tap my shoulder or something?"

Myers just stared down as if he'd done nothing wrong, and Jake shook his head in annoyance. "Aren't you freezing out here? I can't stop shaking," Jake said, walking back into the building after assuming everyone else was either dead or gone. This particular trial somewhat bothered him, as there weren't any clues of other survivors, but he could forget.

Myers followed after a moment, watching Jake go warm his hands by the heater again and deciding to follow. Jake looked at him, giving him a confused glance. "You're not cold?"

Myers only looked at him, shaking his head no. Jake stood up and walked over to him, placing his hand on Myers arm as if he didn't believe it. He grabbed Myers hand, and surprisingly, he wasn't cold. In fact, he was really warm, and Jake gave him a funny look. "You're weird, y'know that?"

Myers lifted his hand and pointed at Jake. Jake leaned back in offense. "No, I'm definitely not," he retaliated, crossing his arms in slight annoyance. Myers stood there amused by Jake's reaction, and Jake suddenly remembered the chocolate bar sitting in his pocket that may have been frozen by now.

"Hey, I got something for... us," Jake said, pulling out the solid bar. He opened the wrapper with ease and took a bite, though he swore it almost broke his teeth. It was dark chocolate, his favorite, and it tasted fresh and smooth. Myers watched him carefully before staring down at Jake's hand, where he had offered the chocolate. 

Myers didn't accept it at first, so Jake took another complicated bite before trying to convince the other man. "C'mon, you've had chocolate before, right?" Jake asked, offering the chocolate towards Myers again. Myers still didn't move, and Jake rolled his eyes. "Try it, then."

Myers finally took the chocolate out of Jake's hand, looking at it for a moment before lifting his mask up a little and taking a bite as if it wasn't almost frozen solid. Jake was surprised, seeing Myers actually reveal some of his face 𝘢𝘯𝘥 not breaking his jaw. Jake guessed he liked it, as Myers took another bite until there was nothing left. Jake laughed quietly in response, amused that Myers could be acting so innocent. 

Before Myers could pull his mask back down though, Jake had stopped him. "Wait! You... have chocolate on your face..."

As he quielty spoke, Jake came up to Myers and used his sleeve to wipe away the chocolate. Myers didn't move, letting Jake do his thing before Jake pulled away, letting out a huff as he stopped standing on his toes. Myers quickly pulled the mask back down, and once again, Jake saw his eyes appear through the holes.

Jake stared back, mesmorized but only for a moment before he looked away, embarrassed and ignoring what just happened. "Anyway... glad you enjoyed it more than I did," Jake said, slightly smiling even though he was turned away. Myers handed the wrapper back, and Jake scoffed, looking at it. "I don't want the wrapper back."

Myers unexpectedly dropped it, and Jake's face contorted into confusion. "You can't just throw it on the ground," Jake said, picking up the wrapper and shoving it into his pocket. Myers tilted his head, amused at Jake's response once again. Jake just looked at him, playful annoyance on his face as he sat there and pondered. 

Myers then turned and walked away, and Jake had no choice but to follow. Since he had time to think, previous events festered in Jake's mind and he had to ask, even if he'd get no response. "Will you ever show me your face?"

Myers kept walking, seemingly paying no mind to Jake or his questions, or maybe just deciding he didn't want to answer. Jake wondered if it was already time to leave, even though they'd only been there for a few minutes, but he didn't ask. He reached a hand out and Myers took it, though he didn't stop walking.

Jake disappointedly followed along, sparking no conversation, but he couldn't really think of anything say anyway. His mind wandered and he realized now that he'd probably been stuck in the Entity's realm for months and he'd lost count since he decided to give up. Maybe it was the acceptance that he's stuck here, or that the amount of months was too depressing to think about.

Every now and then it'd dawn on him that he 𝘸𝘢𝘴 stuck there though, permanently he assumed, and he still had no way of getting out. The Entity wasn't just some physical thing you could overcome, it was a plague that controlled you. Everything you do was probably recorded by the Entity. And, in some way, used against you to submit to the trials and feed your hope to the invisible virus.

Jake suddenly became self concious walking along in the forest with Myers, so he temporarily removed his hand and stood in place to think. Jake knew there was a temporary gap between trials, where the Entity was occupied and Jake could be free for a moment, but his mind still told him something was wrong. Something that his brain had been telling him since the moment he decided to stay after the trials.

Once he stopped, Myers eventually did so too, turning around a few feet away to gaze at Jake questioningly. Jake paused for a moment before asking, though knowing he wouldn't get any real reassurance. "Do you think this is wrong?"

Why he was asking a 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 what was wrong or right, he didn't know, but he felt Myers may have some sense, if any. Myers didn't respond, perhaps not seeming bothered by anything Jake and him had been doing. Maybe ignoring it too.

"Come here," Jake demanded, to which Myers actually listened. He walked over, and Jake was once again reminded of how unnaturally tall the killer was, as well as intimidating. Jake furrowed his eyebrows, looking straight up at Myers, trying not to be bothered by the killers shaded eyes.

"Why do we do this?" Was all Jake asked at first, and it was all he could think of in the moment. 𝘞𝘩𝘺. Why was he here right now, instead of in the camp with the other unlucky survivors? Why was he condoning any of this?

Myers did not answer of course, standing dumbfounded, yet there was a flaw in his stance. Jake could tell Myers had some idea, though he didn't care. But Jake knew everything about this was wrong, and felt so stupid for being temporarily blinded of it. It came on like a sudden rage, a door slamming in his face and waking him up from his little fantasy. Only he could never truly wake up, nor escape whatever was growing in him.

Jake only stood for another few seconds before coming to his senses. "None of this is right. This is wrong, and we both know it." 𝘚𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘺?

Myers didn't move once, only to straighten his pose and stare at Jake, and Jake could feel the weight in the air change. It scared him, but he continued. "We can't do this anymore. We can't see each other."

Jake only stood for a second or two before he turned and stormed away. He didn't look back once, too afraid to see the menacing glare that could be staring him down as he slammed his feet into the floor. He made it to the exit gate and pulled the lever, feeling the hairs on his neck rise. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥.

Jake couldn't help but run through the gate as soon as it opened, feeling adrenaline and fear burst through his veins and take over him. He tried not to think, to instantly forget everything that had happened between him and Myers, about how enjoyable but wrong it had been. Even though it was only such simple, innocent things, Jake knew it would develop into something else. Something he didn't want to face, something he didn't need to, especially in a place like this. 

But he knew it was his only saving grace, the only thing that had made doing the trials worth it. The only thing that had been subconsciously giving him hope. And what he was supposed to be running from, he ran towards, though scraping himself against the thorn bushes as he pushed on. Jake figured he could temporarily forget, forget about everything and ignore the growing mass in his heart. Wondering how long he could now keep up his new facade.


End file.
